An Unforeseen Ally (Rewrite)
by LadyDarkwind
Summary: Kagome had been dead for a year now, leaving Inuyasha to care for their only child, Momoko. But when Sesshomaru arrives with news that could potentially change everything, it sets Inuyasha and his half-brother on a journey that neither of them could have imagined, let alone desired. (Koga and Ayame also play a role. Rated T for some strong language and scenes of intense violence.)
1. Chapter 1

***Author's Note***

Good day, my friends! It's been quite a while since last I put anything up. Now, I started writing this a few months back, and it took a disturbing and revolting turn that made me nauseous. I decided I would take a look at what I had already and fiddle with it a bit, then scrap everything else. I'm going to polish some chapters up and completely re-write others. Hopefully I do a better job this time! So, please enjoy, and if anyone starts reading this that read it the first time around is able to keep an open mind. I swear, I am going to keep it rated T, this time, and our Big Bad will be toned down, but only a little bit. He's still going to raise the hairs on the back of your neck! Okay, so please have fun and enjoy!

***End Note***

Inuyasha lay on his back, the warm mid-day sun soaking into his skin with his arms behind his head and his eyes closed. At the sound of a high-pitched giggle, he opened one eye to see his only child running towards him being chased by Miroku. "Papa! Papa!" She cried through her giggles, "Save me, Papa!"

Inuyasha sprung to his feet and tackled the monk, making little Momoko squeal in delight. Though he smiled, it did not reach his eyes, nor did he laugh. He did precious little laughing these days. Not since that demon raid on their village. _I can't believe that was a year ago,_ he thought to himself. _Just look at how Momoko has adjusted to life without her mother. Poor child will never get to know Kag-._ He stopped the thought before her name came into his head. Inuyasha shook his head, dispelling the morose thoughts. He glanced up to see Miroku watching him with a sad, knowing look in his eyes. Inuyasha stiffened and his ears twitched, "What the hell are you staring at? Come on, Momoko. We're going home, away from irritating monks."

His daughter's ears swiveled to catch her father's voice, "Okay, Papa! I'll see you tomorrow, Uncle Miroku!"

Inuyasha swept his little part-demon daughter onto his shoulders and sprang down the hillside towards the village, an aching hole in his chest. After Kagome had found her way back down the well for the last time, he'd thought they'd be together forever. He'd even taken her as his mate. Kaede had performed the ceremony, herself. He remembered how Kagome's lip had curled at the thought of drinking his blood.

" _I know it's gross, but it'll bind us closer than any marriage vows ever could. This will_ literally _make us one. Our souls will be bound together, and I won't have to worry about losing you to old age before I get old. Plus, you'll be_ way _stronger than any normal human."_

It had taken weeks of begging and pleading on his part, but she'd finally agreed. It had been a simple ceremony, really. Kaede had read a traditional chant while they had stood before the old woman and they'd exchanged their promises. Shippo had worked his fox magic to make cherry blossoms swirl through the air, just as they'd kissed to seal the mating. Little had he known that he'd have to worry about losing her long before old age would creep into either of their joints. Momoko had been only five years old when it had happened. There'd been a demon raid in the middle of the night with zero warning; they had come out of nowhere and decimated the village. Inuyasha had been on the other end of the village when he'd heard her scream. He'd never heard her make a sound like that in all the years he'd known her, and it had frozen him to the bone. He had _felt_ her distress, or maybe it was his imagination; he'd never known which it was. His heart pounded painfully at the memory, even now. Inuyasha had made it to their house just in time to see a massive dog demon yanking his beloved mate out of the house in his teeth; she'd been nearly torn in half, and her eyes were completely blank. He didn't have to check for a pulse to know she was dead. He remembered the grief had nearly driven him mad. For days, he'd run after the trail of the unfamiliar dog demon, but the trail had vanished. His only love was gone.

For many weeks, it was all he could process until one day Momoko had crawled into his numb arms, sobbing. She had been the only one who'd been able to reach him, and it was like the breaking of a dam; they'd curled into a tight ball together and sobbed for hours. He hadn't truly smiled since the night of the raid. He knew the entire village worried for him, and it wasn't that he didn't care, it was simply that he simply couldn't recover. His mate was gone, and she was never coming back. There was no waiting for five hundred years until he could see her again this time. All he could do to see her again was die, and he had Momoko to think about. He couldn't just _leave_ her, much as he _wanted_ to die.

Momoko squirmed on his shoulders, causing the corner of his mouth to twitch just a little, which was the most animation his face showed these days. He brought her down from his shoulders and nestled her comfortably in his arms so that her head could rest on his shoulder, buried in his hair, which was her very favorite place in the world. Momoko leaned back for a moment so she could look into her father's face and smiled that heart-melting smile of hers. Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat. Every time she smiled like that, she looked so very much like her mother that it broke Inuyasha's heart, just a little. _Even Sesshomaru hadn't been able to resist that smile_ , Inuyasha thought with pride. He still remembered the first day his half-brother had come to visit after Momoko's birth. _She_ – he couldn't even bring himself to think her name - had proudly handed their daughter to Sesshomaru and asked what he thought. Given that he looked like someone had shoved dung under his nose and that he'd been holding Momoko like something hazardous, Inuyasha had been certain he'd known what his brother would say. He may well have been correct, had Momoko not raised her eyes to look at her Uncle. Something about him had always drawn the girl to him, right from that first moment; she'd lit up with that smile of hers, and Inuyasha watched his brother's heart of ice melt. To his further astonishment, Sesshomaru had sworn on the spot to protect Momoko and her mother with his very life; Inuyasha had never been able to understand Sesshomaru's motivations for that, and he had never asked, either.

But perhaps that was why Inuyasha despised the fact that his brother was so close to his daughter. Despite his promises, Sesshomaru had not been there that night to protect his brother's mate. Inuyasha had become more embittered against his brother than ever before and refused to so much as look at him, let alone speak to Sesshomaru. The older, full-blooded demon liked to act like he cared little what Inuyasha did, or for _anything_ , for that matter, but the truth was, his family was very important to him. Deep, _deep_ inside, anyway; at least, that's what Rin always said.

Inuyasha reached the house he had once shared with his wife just as his precious bundle yawned hugely. Inuyasha's lips twitched again in an approximation of a smile, "Alright, then. Nap time, little pup."

Momoko instantly began to pout, "No! I don't _wanna_! Can't make me."

 _Oh, I beg to differ_ , thought Inuyasha, "Tell you what. If you get ready quickly, I'll nap _with_ you," bribed the half-demon.

Momoko nodded enthusiastically and rushed around to get ready for nap time with her Papa. Inuyasha took the moment to study his daughter. At only six years old, Momoko had inherited many things from her father, though mostly only the physical. She had the same long, white hair, yellow eyes, white dog-ears, and long, sharp claws as her father. She loved to run, jump, and play fight with her father, not that she knew it was really training. The rest, she got from her mother. Her spirit, tender-hearted devotion to those she loved, and her unwillingness to give up, even if it was phrased as a "tactical retreat". Momoko had the same long, willowy form as her mother; she often looked like some sort of spirit, though Inuyasha knew she was flesh and blood. She even seemed to have the same innate ability to read people as her mother had possessed. Inuyasha had learned over the last year to hide his emotions, though his ears still twitched when he was feeling something strongly, instantly giving him away. His daughter would be quite the beauty when she grew up. _I'll have to invest in a large stick to beat boys with_ , he thought. _I pity any boy who comes to ask for_ _ **her**_ _hand in marriage. He'll probably have a stroke when he has to face me!_ Rather than lighten his mood, however, these thoughts only served to further depress him.

Momoko saved him from his morose mood by calling softly, "Papa? I'm ready for our nap now."

The half-demon glanced up to see his daughter in a soft white kimono that she preferred for sleeping and smiled slightly, though as ever, it did not reach his eyes. "Alright then, little pup," he said gently, "I'll lay down, you curl on my chest. Sound good?"

Momoko grinned at her father again, "Okay, Papa!" Inuyasha laid on the tatami mat and Momoko obligingly crawled up onto his chest, where she curled into a tight little ball and instantly fell asleep. Her father smiled another half-hearted smile as her breath instantly slowed. She sighed softly in her sleep and curled gently towards her father's heartbeat.

When Inuyasha finally woke, Momoko was sitting cross-legged on his chest and staring down at him. Inuyasha sniffed out of habit and froze. He knew that scent. _Sesshomaru_ , he thought with a sneer he just couldn't manage to tamp down. Momoko bounced excitedly on her father's chest, "Papa, Papa! It's Uncle Sesshomaru, it's Uncle Sesshomaru! I can smell him, Papa!"

Inuyasha groaned, "Yes, that's very good, Momoko. Can Papa have his chest back now so he can stand up?" Momoko giggled and hopped off of her father's chest to stand dancing by the door, waiting for him. Inuyasha sighed and stood so he could open the door for her. She raced down the stairs and into the lane, straight into the waiting arms of one of his least-favorite people on Earth, his _dear_ brother. Her high giggle wafted through the air as Sesshomaru lifted his niece over his head, smiling as widely as Inuyasha had ever seen his brother smile. He grimaced and made his way towards the happy twosome, and his ears twitched as he took in his brother's expression. _Something's bothering him_ , Inuyasha thought. _And it has something to do with my family. We'll see what he has to say for himself; I doubt he'll have anything new to say, let alone anything I want to hear._

Sesshomaru paused when his brother came near and returned to playing with his niece. After a long, tense moment, he finally spoke, "Run along, Momoko. I need to speak with your father." Momoko stopped, glancing between the two men with great apprehension, then shrugged and rushed off to bother Miroku. Sesshomaru watched his brother closely for a moment before speaking, "We need to talk."

***Author's Note***

So, one of the biggest complaints was that Sesshomaru was too AU for some people's tastes. One of my biggest goals in this re-write is to better illustrate Sesshomaru's motives, so that it is made clear _why_ he does what he does. I had never intended him to be AU originally, and it grieved me greatly to learn that I had so mis-written one of my favorite characters! Anywho, there wasn't all that much to change in this chapter, so...I'll be putting up as much as I can today! Thanks, all! Lots of love.

\- Lady Darkwind


	2. Chapter 2

***Author's Note***

Hello, hello! I told you I'd work fast to get this back up! So, I fixed the interactions between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha so that they're more true to the original characters. For those of you who have never read this before...Well, I just hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading!]

***End Note***

Inuyasha made no response to his half-brother, but stared instead beyond his brother to where the villagers were working in the fields. To an outsider, it would seem as though Inuyasha had not heard his brother speak, but those who knew him would see his pinned back ears and unnaturally straight spine and realize that he was, in truth, ignoring his brother. Sesshomaru saw the signs as well and narrowed his eyes, "Inuyasha, you are being ridiculous I need to speak with you." Rather than look at his brother, Inuyasha turned on his heel and stormed back towards his house. Sesshomaru, however, was not to be deterred, "I believe that I said I need to speak with you. Do not walk away from me," Sesshomaru growled as his half-brother continued to walk away, still ignoring him. _That's it,_ he thought as he somersaulted into the air to land in front of his brother. Inuyasha simply narrowed his eyes and turned around again.

This dance continued for some time, until Inuyasha finally had enough and turned on Sesshomaru, snarling viciously. Extending his claws, Inuyasha lunged for his brother, clawing him across the face. Inuyasha allowed his lunge to carry him behind the older demon and stood silently, waiting. _He just_ stood _there. He actually_ let _me hit him!_ Inuyasha withdrew his claws and turned back towards Sesshomaru in confusion.

"So, you are finally going to allow me to speak? How thoughtful." Sesshomaru took a deep breath to calm his temper. It would not do to harm the younger hanyou now, not when he may actually come in useful. "I have news of the utmost importance for you, brother." Inuyasha's eyes went wide; it was rare for the older demon to admit their relationship, and only did so in extreme circumstances. As a general rule, Sesshomaru was not one to admit his emotions. Understanding this, Inuyasha nodded once to indicate that he was listening, drawing an irritated sigh from his brother. "Look, you stubborn mutt. It's about Kag-" Before Sesshomaru could finish, a deep, rending growl tore through the village. Sesshomaru paused and cocked his head curiously as his brother straightened with fury, his claws extending of their own volition as the air around Inuyasha began to stir and his eyes went red. _He's in worse shape than I thought_ , Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in thought, _Kagome's loss must have driven him to the edge of madness. If this continues, he is going to harm Momoko; that, I cannot allow._ He sprung towards his brother and struck him in the face, hard. "Listen to me! It's about Kag-"

Inuyasha roared with rage, "You don't have the right to speak her name!"

Sesshomaru had had enough of his brother's selfish, childish behavior, "At least _I_ have the courage to speak her name at all, coward. You won't even _say_ it, and she was _your_ mate! Say it, Inuyasha. _Say_ it!" Inuyasha's eyes faded slowly back to yellow as shock replaced fury and he stumbled backwards, shaking his head back and forth. "Inuyasha...If you force yourself to forget her, you will damage yourself more than you could ever imagine! I don't care much for you, but I _do_ care for Momoko! Just think what it would do to _her_." Inuyasha's pupils shrank to tiny pinpricks as his hands trembled from holding back his grief. "You _must_ feel it at some point, Inuyasha! You're not like me. I am cold and unfeeling in my very nature. You, however, seem to feel everything strongly; I suppose it is a trait you inherited from your mother." Sesshomaru took hold of his brother's shoulders roughly, and shook him, "Say it. Say it, or forget her."

Inuyasha shoved his brother away from him as his eyes began to fill with tears. He'd spent the last year avoiding her name with everything that he possessed so that he could remain strong for Momoko. He'd shoved her image out of his head and out of his dreams, and now it was all flooding back. Now, it felt like his heart was shattering all over again. He was losing her again, and he couldn't take it. It was too much, too much. "KAGOME!" He screamed to the sky. His voice cracked on the single word that shattered his very soul as the tears overflowed and he sank to his knees, his broken sobs causing him to shake violently. "Kagome," he sobbed into the ground.

Sesshomaru looked on his broken-spirited brother with cold irritation in his eyes, annoyance in his every line. "Now, as I was saying, I am here to talk about Kagome. Would you like to continue this spectacle in full view of the village, or would you rather retire to your... _charming_ little house and help me drink this bottle of sake that I brought?" Inuyasha twitched before he stood jerkily and weaved his way to his house, suddenly exhausted. His vision was still blurred by tears that refused to stop flowing, causing him to stumble on the stairs. To his shock, he found his brother suddenly by his side, supporting him and helping him up the stairs, still radiating irritation. Once they were inside, Sesshomaru immediately released the hanyou so that he collapsed to the floor and searched the room for some sake cups. Once the youkai had found what he was seeking, he joined the hanyou on the floor, pouring out the first cups. For a long while, neither spoke. They had gone through three cups each before Sesshomaru spoke again, "It's been a while since I visited...Three months, I think? How is Momoko?"

Inuyasha growled in annoyance, _Of course, NOW he wants to be all chummy. What a jerk. I can't believe he's got the balls to talk to me at all. Well, I'd better play along if I want to find out why the hell he's here,_ he thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "She's been fine."

Sesshomaru sighed, _This will be harder than I thought._ "What about you? How have you been?"

Inuyasha's head jerked up and he stared at his brother in shock, "Why the hell do _you_ care? You weren't here when I actually needed you, so why would you care now?"

Sesshomaru grew terribly still, "No, I wasn't here. I was with Rin. She was terribly ill, and I felt I could not stray from her side. Had I known about the attack, however, I would have made the journey. I gave Momoko my word. There was no sign; _nothing_. Normally, there are rumors of such raids, and I can manage to arrive in time to grant you my aid for her sake, but this time there was nothing. It concerns me, even now, how they managed to mask their movements from me. Rin is fine now, if you were wondering."  
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, then grudgingly asked, "Where is she now?"

Sesshomaru very nearly smiled, "She is safe, for the moment. I could not bear to bring her along, knowing why I came. I thought it might interest you that we have been mated, since she reached an acceptable age."

The hanyou jerked in shock and pain, "Oh. That's...nice." They fell into an uncomfortable silence, both sipping at the strong liquor, until Inuyasha finally asked, "Look...Why the hell are you here, anyway? You said you have news...Let's have it."

Sesshomaru sighed heavily, "Very well." He leaned back for a moment with his arms crossed over his chest, thinking, "I was some distance from here, minding my own business. Rin wanted some rare flowers, and I was looking for them, if you must know." Sesshomaru said stiffly, "Anyway, I was searching the mountains when I caught a scent that could neither be denied, nor mistaken. Kagome's."

Inuyasha lunged to his feet, his hands clenching into fists, "You are such an asshole. I should have known that you were just here to play games." The hanyou stormed from the house, stumbling slightly in his hurry.

Sesshomaru growled impatiently, "Inuyasha! Wait!" He sprinted from the house, following his half-brother, "I speak the truth, Inuyasha! She is alive! This was only a few days ago; I came straight here after I told Rin where I would be going."

Inuyasha turned on his brother, his eyes dead and unfeeling, "Leave," he said with no emotion in his voice at all.

Sesshomaru froze, shocked at the sudden change, _Very well. The hard way, then,_ he thought to himself a fraction of a second before he leaped at the grief-stricken hanyou, wrapping one arm around Inuyasha's neck, and plunging the other into his own robes, drawing out a small pouch. He shook out its contents into his palm and shoved it into Inuyasha's face. At first, the hanyou jerked back and clawed at the restraining arms before he inhaled through his nose and stopped dead. Sesshomaru rolled his shoulders as he released his brother, "There, you see? I...What are-"

Inuyasha had lunged suddenly at Sesshomaru, clutching at the hand that had been shoved into his face. Prying the hand open, Inuyasha saw a large rock with a single drop of blood on it. His face paled as he sniffed at the rock again, and a familiar scent filled his nostrils, making him dizzy with denial and guilt, "No...It...It can't be." he sank slowly to his knees, while Sesshomaru straightened his yukatta and watched his half-brother coldly.

"I suppose you're going to listen now?" Sesshoamru sighed and crossed his arms, "She is _alive_ , Inuyasha. Your mate lives, and we must find her before it is too late. You and I are the only ones who can do this thing; anyone else will simply slow us down," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "You must gather what you will require for the journey and come with me immediately."

Inuyasha, however, was not listening, "That scent is only a week old, at the most. She's been alive all this time, and I didn't realize it. I should have been looking for her! We'll leave first thing in the morning, Sesshomaru. There are some things I need to see to first."

 _So, he was listening_ , thought Sesshomaru in aggravation, _How irritatingly like him. The more time he wastes, the less likely the girl will live long enough for us to find her_.

Inuyasha didn't wait for a response; instead, he hurried to Miroku and Sango's house, where they were waiting anxiously for him. Poor Momoko had fallen asleep in Miroku's arms while she waited for her father. Sango sprung to her feet, gazing at her friend with concern, "We heard fighting. Is everything alright? What was Sesshomaru's news?"

Inuyasha allowed his knees to go out beneath him, collapsing to the tatami mat, "Kagome is alive," he answered in a voice that was hardly a whisper.

Sango and Miroku gasped, "Are you sure, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked doubtfully, "It wouldn't be the first time Sesshomaru has been less than honest with you."

He nodded, "Yes, I'm sure. He brought a stone with him that has a drop of blood on it. The scent is hers, no mistake, and barely a week old. I have to go. Even if it is a trick, somehow, I _have_ to find out. If she really has been alive for all this time, then I've left her to this fate without even _trying_ to search for her. I'm going, Miroku."

Sango nodded, "I thought you'd say something like that. Don't worry; we'll look after Momoko while you're gone."

Inuyasha sighed with relief, "Thank you, Sango." He made to stand, but stopped and said hesitantly, "I...I know I haven't been...the _easiest_ person to deal with over the last year. I'm sorry for making things so difficult. I'm glad you've been here for me. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for you two."

Sango's eyes filled with tears as she flung her arms around her friend, "It's okay, we understand. I'm just glad you weren't alone. Don't you worry about a thing around here. We'll make sure everything is okay. Just...If it _is_ true...Bring her _back_..." Sango's voice cracked on the last word, "We miss her, too." She finished simply.

Inuyasha's eyes stung with tears he refused to shed a second time, "I will. We'll be leaving in the morning. I want one last night with my daughter before I leave again."

Miroku nodded and stood, "In that case...Perhaps you should take her home."

Inuyasha nodded as he took the precious bundle from his friend, "Thank you for looking after her. And...you know...everything else." He left their small house and headed for his own as the bundle in his arms stirred and rose her head to peer blearily at her father, "Hush, little pup. We're going home. Papa has to leave in the morning, and I don't know how long I'll be gone. You have to stay here, understand?"

The little hanyou nodded, "You're bringing back Mama, if she's still alive. I heard Uncle Sesshomaru telling you, Papa. Even if she's not, promise me one thing?"

Inuyasha covered his surprise with a quick nod, "Anything, dearest."

Momoko's ears laid flat against her skull and her eyes filled with tears, "Just promise you'll come back home, Papa!" She flung her arms around her father's neck, crying softly.

He held the child tightly against his chest and pressed his face into her hair, mumbling, "Of course, little pup. I'll always come back to you. I will do whatever it takes to make it home." He pulled his daughter back gently so that he could wipe her tears away, "Now then, no more tears. I want to spend some time with you before I go in the morning." The two made their way up the stairs and into the home they had shared for the past year, holding each other tightly.

Sesshomaru stood as the pair entered, "Have no fear, Inuyasha. I do not intend to stay here tonight. I can camp in the woods comfortably enough. I only wanted to say something to Momoko." He reached for the girl with a questioning look on his face, and Inuyasha handed her over curiously, "You have my word, little one, that your father will return to you, even if it means my own death. This is my solemn vow; I will not fail you again."

Momoko's eyes were uncommonly serious and adult for a six-year-old as she nodded, "Okay, Uncle Sesshomaru." She threw her arms around her beloved Uncle in a tight embrace, which he returned, then allowed him to set her down on the tatami before striding slowly and calmly to the door. Momoko stood where he'd left her, her ears pinned back as she stared at her father with grief in her yellow eyes.

Inuyasha stood where he was, held for a long moment by his daughter's sorrowful stare until he sighed softly and turned, "Sesshomaru. Stay." Was all he said.

Had Sesshomaru been a normal human, the breath of a question would not have been caught, but he was not human, and he did hear the request. Even if Naraku returned and tore him limb-from-limb, he would never have admitted that the quiet request touched his heart. He froze in place until he was sure no emotion would show on his face before he turned back to face his brother, "Very well – it matters little to me. I have more sake, if you wish." Sesshomaru returned to his seat and poured two cups of the strong liquor while his brother foraged in the kitchen for something to eat. He came back with three bowls of rice and sushi, along with three sets of chopsticks. Sesshomaru accepted the food politely and waited for his hosts to begin eating before taking his first bite. His eyes went wide as he tasted his fish, "This...This is actually quite good! Did you make this?"

Inuyasha smirked slightly, though it still didn't reach his eyes, "Yeah. It's one of the many things I've had to get good at over the last year." The three finished their meal in silence and spent the rest of the evening comfortably enjoying Momoko's antics until the young hanyou began to droop with exhaustion. Inuyasha picked her up and carried her to her room, laying her gently on the tatami and covering her with blankets. He leaned close and kissed her on the forehead, whispering, "Sleep well, little pup."

He left the room to find Sesshomaru standing at the door to the room Inuyasha had shared with Kagome. His nose twitched and he said quietly, "It reeks of dust in there."

Inuyasha walked past without looking at the room, "I don't use it. Can't."

Sesshomaru turned to his brother, his eyes bright with understanding, "Yes, I thought as much. I wouldn't either, if it had been Rin." He said nothing more, and they returned silently to their sake.

Before they retired, the two of them polished off the bottle. Inuyasha knew he would probably have a hangover to be reckoned with in the morning, but he didn't care. His final thought before he fell asleep was, _Sesshomaru may be an asshole, but damn it if he didn't help me feel a little better._ The truth was, he hadn't felt much of _anything_ since the raid on the village and now, for the first time in a year, he felt the first faint glimmerings of something he thought had left his heart forever – hope.

***Author's Note***

Okay, so after this chapter, we're probably going to have some pretty massive changes in the main plot. I'm going to make things make a little more sense. I realized I didn't do a very good job of explaining my characters' motivations, so hopefully you'll like my explanations better this time! Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	3. Chapter 3

***Author's Note***

Wooo, this sure is going quickly! I didn't really see fit to change much in this chapter, as I really enjoy it the way I wrote it originally. I did, however, alter some of Sesshoamru's reactions and the things he says to make them more natural for him. Hopefully, I'll get to the new stuff pretty quickly! Enjoy!

***End NOte***

In the morning, Inuyasha rose early to pack the few things he would take with him, strap on Tetsuaiga, and stand beside his slumbering daughter - just to watch her sleep. He wasn't sure if he'd make it back, or even if his mate was still alive. The only thing he _was_ certain of was that he'd make damn sure one way or the other this time. Momoko shifted in her sleep, curling instinctively towards her father's heartbeat, her ears twitching at the sound. Inuyasha sighed gently, content to simply stay and watch the precious child sleep, but he knew he couldn't; he had work to do. Instead, he spent the last hour of the night memorizing the lines of his daughter's face and locked the image of her deep within his heart so he would not forget. After what seemed an age, the sun broke through the last remaining vestiges of night, one beam of perfect, pure light landing exactly on Inuyasha. At that exact moment, Momoko opened her eyes and looked up at her father, who looked so sad to her young eyes. "Everything will be alright, Papa. If Mama's still alive, you'll bring her home. I know it." Momoko would remember that image of her father, standing with his back to the rising sun, framed by that single beam of sunlight, for many years to come.

Inuyasha forced a smile to come to his face, even though he felt less like smiling now than he ever did. He was fully aware of the fact that he was leaving his daughter, perhaps permanently. He did not want her last memory of him to be a sad one, however, so he smiled, "Good morning, little pup," he said softly. "It's time to get up now. Uncle Sesshomaru and I have to get on the road."

Momoko frowned but nodded and stood, throwing her arms around her father. Inuyasha reveled in the embrace for a short moment before standing and turning to see Sesshomaru watching him with an unreadable expression. Whatever the look was, it vanished quickly to be replaced by his usual cold demeanor, "Well, if you two are finished, we can get on the road."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed his crankier-than-normal brother out of the house and down the stairs. To no one's surprise, Sango, Moroku, and their three children were already up and waiting for them. Sango smiled sadly at Inuyasha, "Just come back to us, okay? We'll take good care of Momoko while you're gone."

Inuyasha snarled, "Why is it that everyone suddenly seems to think that I'm not comin' back!? I have every intention to come home, ya know."

Sango surprised him by giggling, "I'm sorry, it's just...You sounded so much like your old self right there that I couldn't help it."

Inuyasha frowned, "You all have really been worried for me, haven't ya? Well, don't worry. This isn't a suicide mission. I've got Momoko to think of."

Sango nodded and blinked away the tears that had formed in her eyes, "We'll see you when you get home, then."

The hanyou nodded, "What about you, monk? Are you gonna throw yourself into my arms crying, too?"

Miroku thought for a moment, "Noooo, I don't think I will. It might make the ladies think differently of me, know what I mean?" The monk smiled with a lecherous glint in his eye.

Sango stiffened and growled before punching the monk in the face, "You _PERVERT_ ," she bellowed at her husband, "Ugh. Sometimes I wonder why I married you."

"Um...Because you love me?" Came the muffled response from the ground, where Miroku lay, twitching.

Inuyasha smiled at his friends, "Well, we'd better be off. Momoko?" The tiny hanyou hurried over to her beloved Papa, "You behave yourself for your Uncle Miroku and Aunt Sango, okay? I'll come home as soon as I can."

Momoko put on her bravest face and nodded, "Yes, Papa! I'll do my best."

Inuyasha turned to go, but his heart gave a painful pang, so he turned and flung his arms out to embrace his daughter one final time, "I love you, little pup." Before his resolve weakened any further, Inuyasha lurched unsteadily to his feet and began to walk down the road, his brother by his side.

"I almost thought you wouldn't be able to do it," Sesshomaru said quietly.

"Yeah," replied Inuyasha, "Me, too."

Sango and Miroku watched as the two brothers walked down the road and out of the village while Kaede walked slowly up behind them, "Well, I never thought I'd see the day when those two would be able to put aside their differences and work together – the villagers told me what's happened. I should have known it would take Kagome being in danger to get it done. There's something special about that girl..."

Miroku smiled, "Yes, very special. I _do_ miss her. I hope Sesshomaru isn't just having Inuyahsa on. It'd be nice to have such a pretty girl around again."

Kaede sighed and shook her head as Sango shouted, "Why, you..." and launched herself after her husband, who ran as quickly as his monk's robes would allow him, begging for mercy the whole time.

"Even so," Kaede muttered to herself, "I just hope those two know what they're getting themselves into. There's a reason they stay out of each others' way. Two personalities as strong as theirs...I only hope they don't kill each other." The aging woman glanced up at the still-lightening sky, "Bring her home, Inuyasha. Bringer her _home_."

The two brothers kept their pace sedate until they reached the edge of the village, then they both began to run. Though he was only half-demon, Inuyasha had always managed to keep up with his full-demon brother, which had always been a source of great pride for him. Neither spoke as they ran, but preferred to keep their thoughts to themselves unless there was some circumstance that forced their hand. After four hours of running full-out, Sesshomaru began to slow, "I'm thirsty," was all he said as he stopped by a clear, cool stream. As if to prove a point, he knelt immediately beside it and began to drink.

Inuyasha caught the soft sounds of fish jumping just a short ways upstream, "Well, I'm hungry," he responded. Without another word, he left his brother to drink his fill while he fished bare-handed. In short order, he'd managed procure a half-dozen fish, which would hopefully be enough to feed the both of them. Sniffing the air, he caught the scent of a fire and worked his way towards it. He found Sesshomaru sitting beside a roaring fire with a spit already sharpened, clearly waiting for him. He sat opposite his brother and set to work silently skinning and gutting the fish. As he finished each fish, Sesshomaru stuck in on the spit and waited patiently for the next. In this manner, they soon had all six fish hanging over the fire, and the smell of cooking fish seeped through the camp. While the fish cooked, the two of them sat parallel to one another, staring in opposite directions. After a few minutes, Inuyasha turned to glance at the back of his brother's head. _It's strange to think that we're brothers, and yet I know so little about my brother's life. Of course, it's really that he doesn't tell me anything, but then again...I don't really ask, either. Huh. No time like the present, I guess._ "Hey, Sesshomaru?" The youkai made no response save to turn his golden eyes towards Inuyasha. "So, uh, you said Rin was...was sick, right? What – ah – what did she have?"

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows in surprise - or at least as much surprise as he ever allowed to show – and cocked his head, thinking for a moment. _It's odd_ , he thought, _He really seems to be making an effort. I suppose it would please Father if we both made some effort._ "Ah – pregnancy," he responded awkwardly.

"KEH?" Inuyasha yelped as he fell off of the log he'd been perched on, "What do you mean, _pregnancy_!? Don't those usually result in _babies_!?"

Sesshomaru smiled, ever so slightly, "Yes, as a general rule. Yes, they do."

Inuyasha's mouth fell open in undisguised astonishment, "So, what? You're a _father_ now!?"

The handsome youkai nodded, "Yes. We have a daughter. We – ah – we named her Kagome when word came about the raid."

Inuyasha jerked involuntarily as unwanted tears pooled in his eyes. He spun around on the log so his back was facing his brother, "Oh. Nice name. For, uh...for _Her_?"

Sesshomaru sighed, clearly annoyed again. "Yes, for your mate. When Rin heard about what happened, she wept for weeks. It was a difficult pregnancy for her; she was restricted to the house, not even allowed to walk. She had to lay on a pile of pillows and watch me and Jaken do all the work. It upset her very much, but nothing like the news about Kagome. She wouldn't speak to anyone, just lay there, crying. It was horrible. She didn't smile for a long time after that; it was like she had lost a sister. It wasn't until Kagome was born that she finally smiled again. It's funny, I never thought I'd mate with a human. I never did understand what Father saw in your mother. Now that I've lived among them, though...I think I'm beginning to understand, a little. Humans are...Humans are strange creatures, really. Every one of them knows that they will die, sooner or later, and yet they insist on continuing. They find joy in the oddest little things, and are not afraid to take risks or to stand their ground in difficult times. Me, when things grew too uncomfortable, I would just move on and find somewhere else. I find humans to be fascinating. I believe I'm beginning to understand why Father defended them like he did, and why _you_ do the same. We are the strong ones, so we have a duty, yes?"

Inuyasha blinked in astonishment at his brother's revelation, "Yeah, that's, uh, that's pretty much it. It took Kagome to make me realize it, though. Funny, eh? It took a woman to show us both what we were missing."

Sesshomaru stared at the clear blue sky above them for a moment before grunting, "Mm. It certainly seems to be thus."

"You love Rin, don't you? I mean, really _love_ her. I can't imagine you putting up with her for the rest of your life if you didn't."

At last, Sesshomaru met his brother's gaze, "Yes. I do love her. I finally understand why it was that you protected your mate with such ferocity. She may have my life span now, but she is still far more fragile than a full – or even half – demon. Thinking about losing her...It's like swallowing glass. No, that's not quite the right comparison. It's like...Like someone shoved red-hot liquid metal down your throat, and it just sits there in your stomach, burning until you see her again, and the pain is replaced by the gentle warmth you get when she looks at you."

"Yeah, that's a pretty accurate description." The conversation paused as Inuyasha leaned forward to pluck the fish out of the fire to avoid burning them, and divvied them up evenly between them.

Sesshomaru sighed, "Humans, I've found, love like no other creature I've ever encountered. They put demons to shame with their capacity for it. I fear I underestimated you for many years, Inuyasha."

The hanyou nearly smiled, "Yeah, I understand. It's easy to not get the whole human thing. Hell, for a long time, they were nothing but cruel to me, so I figured if they were going to treat me like a full demon, might as well _become_ one, right? Well, all that got me was pinned to a tree for fifty years. And these damn beads," he added in an afterthought, holding them up for his brother to investigate. "You know what's weird?" His brother cocked his head, abnormally interested, "I've missed her telling me to 'sit' more than anything. I'd give five hundred years of my life, just to hear her say that one word again."

Sesshomaru chuckled, "I know what you mean. Sometimes, I fight with Rin, just to see her eyes glint and her cheeks flush. There's something...well, _sexy_ about it."

Nodding, Inuyasha answered, "I know. I've goaded her into it more than a few times, just to see the way her mouth puckers." With little warning, the hanyou's eyes suddenly filled with tears, and he sniffed loudly, "Sorry. I just...I miss her, that's all."

Sesshomaru said nothing, only turning away from his brother. Inuyasha thought he'd gotten everything out of the youkai that he was going to, then very quietly, "I feel that I am finally beginning to comprehend you, after all these years. I don't think I'll ever _like_ you, but I'm beginning to _understand_. Does that make sense to you?"  
Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah. We've got a few more centuries to work on the liking each other part." He paused for a moment, "So. What are the odds I can meet your daughter while we're nearby?"

The youkai just shrugged and shook his head, his back still turned, "How did I just know you were going to ask me that? Alright, fine. After we investigate the spot where I found your mate's scent, I'll take you to see her."

Inuyasha nodded, "I know it sounds odd, but I feel like if there's a chance for _you_ , then there's a good chance for me, too."

"For once, I know _exactly_ what you mean." The two finished their lunch in silence, each feeling that they had revealed more than enough of themselves for the time being. In short order, they had put out their fire and disposed of the remains of their meal. With a quick, final check of the area to be sure they had not forgotten anything, the brothers adjusted their sword-belts so that they sat comfortably and ran down the road once more.

***Author's Note***

Hope you like the few changes I've made thus far. I'm actually having fun re-discovering this story! I've been very, very busy working on my first original novel, so I haven't had much time to work on this...I'm kind of making up for lost time today! I've been a bit stuck on it, though, so hopefully shifting gears will help! Please feel free to leave reviews and let me know what you think about the revision (few though they are, thus far), or if this is the first time you're reading this story, just let me know what you think! Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	4. Chapter 4

***Author's Note***

So, things start to get a little more interesting in this chapter. Things get very, very exciting from here on out. Also, my alterations will be a bit more noticeable in the next few chapters. I'm starting to remember where I wanted this story to go in the first place, so that's a good thing! Well, enjoy, my friends!

***End Note***

They continued to run through the rest of the day and well into the night. The stars were beginning their evening vigil before Sesshomaru allowed them to stop again. Though he did not seem to be weary, Inuyasha had begun to slow. Sesshomaru gazed up at the sky for a long moment before speaking, "We should rest here for the night. We'll continue in the morning."

Inuyasha stood staring down the road, undecided. "We should keep going."

Sesshomaru sighed in annoyance, "Look at you! You can barely stand. You're too weak to go on."

The hanyou growled, "I'll show you who's weak!" Without warning, he whirled on the spot and sprung at the youkai with his claws extended, snarling. Sesshomaru easily evaded the vicious swipe, along with the next three. His eyes narrowed as he ducked under a fifth and brought his right leg up to kick the hanyou across the face, sending him sprawling.

"If I must render you unconscious before you will rest, then so be it!" Sesshomaru shouted at his brother's prone form. Inuyasha groaned from the ground and rubbed at his jaw, suddenly more tired than he had realized. He made to stand, but his exhaustion won out and he collapsed to the ground, already asleep. The youkai blinked in surprise and cocked his head, "Well, that didn't take very long," he muttered to himself, "He must be in pretty bad shape." Sesshomaru decided to stand guard through the night, so as not to disturb his brother. _I'm not concerned for him_ , he thought to himself, _It's just that I'll need him at full strength – such as it is. Even so. This year must have been difficult for him. And I did promise Momoko. If I don't bring her father back in one piece, she'll never forgive me. How did I get here? I used to be so strong, so full of power. Now...Now, I find myself protecting_ _ **humans**_ _, of all things. I hardly recognize myself._

Just then, Jaken appeared at his elbow, "Master Sesshomaru!", the creature cried.

The youkai turned with a fearsome glare on his face, "Silence!", he hissed, "You'll wake Inuyasha."

Jaken stared open-mouthed at his master, "But...But since when do we care about waking the half-demon?"

Sesshomaru glowered at the little imp, "Since I _need_ him," he hissed in answer, "Rin wants me to help save Inuyasha's mate, so that is what I intend to do. Make no mistake, Jaken. I don't do this out of the goodness of my heart. I have my own reasons for helping, and my own theories as to who may be behind this whole thing. There have been many disappearances under suspicious circumstances of late, and they _all_ match what happened to my brother's mate. I have a great deal of work ahead of me," he said softly, as though thinking aloud, "Her loss has had a far more profound effect on him than I ever dared to expect. It would appear that he has hardly slept in the last year. I struck him once at full strength, and it was enough to exhaust him."

Jaken gasped, "But...But Inuyasha usually puts up a _much_ better fight than that!"

"Yes, Jaken. That is why I am concerned, and why it is imperative that he sleep. If Momoko is to survive what is coming, I must have Inuyasha by my side, and as strong as can be managed."

"Ah, so you care about the girl?"

"Of _course_ I care about her, Jaken; she is my niece. Do not question me about it again."

"Y-Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. If I may, My Lord, what is coming? And why do you care about the disappearances of humans?"  
Sesshomaru glanced up at the stars, worry in his eyes, "I didn't say it was just humans, Jaken. Demons have vanished, too. But they aren't just _any_ humans or demons...no. It is only the _mates_ of powerful demons that are vanishing."

Jaken gasped, "Rin!"  
The youkai turned on his servant, snarling quietly, "Yes," he hissed angrily, "That is why you are supposed to be _with_ her! Someone is trying to remove his opposition before making himself known. There are other demons that Inuyasha has worked with in the past that may also be in danger. We shall see how events play out."

Jaken hummed in his throat, "Do you think that wolf demon, Kouga, will be in danger?"

Sesshomaru nodded, "Yes, I believe his mate, Ayame, may well be a target, also."

Jaken thought for a moment, "Lord Sesshomaru...If Inuyasha dies...What will happen to Momoko?"

The youkai huffed out an impatient breath, "She will come to live with me, of course, you twit. But that is not going to happen."

"But, why not, Master? I thought you said you cared for the girl."

"I do, you idiot. I also promised her that I would keep her father safe. If something were to happen to Inuyasha and he did not return...She would never forgive me. I cannot allow that, Jaken, so I will protect my brother with my very life. Though to be honest, I'd much rather tear his throat out myself. His half-demon stench turns my stomach. No, I will help him to find his mate, if she still lives."

"Lord Sesshomaru...Wasn't it a dog demon that attacked Kagome?"

"Yes, Jaken. However, there were other types of demons there as well, which is highly unusual in itself. That is yet another reason I have for pursuing this matter. I have a theory regarding the identity of our mysterious dog demon, which I will keep to myself for the time being." He paused for a moment, staring at the sleeping form of his hanyou brother, "I heard of the damage done to Inuyasha's mate. Frankly, it will be a miracle if she _did_ survive."

"Oh? Why is that, Master Sesshomaru?"  
The youkai shot a withering look at the irritating imp, "The beast nearly bit her in half, Jaken. The lower half of her torso had been hardly attached to the rest of her, and it was told to me that her intestines could be seen. Every bone in her body must have been shattered when he pulled her from that house; she fought with all she had, to her last breath, according to reports. Apparently, you could hear her bones snap when the demon managed to pull her through the window."

Jaken visibly trembled, "Why, that's terrible, Lord Sesshomaru! Why would someone do such a thing? She was always such a kind person."  
For the first time, Sesshomaru showed the faintest traces of sadness, "Yes, Jaken. I know. Though I did my best to kill her mate on many occasions, Kagome still welcomed me whenever I wished to visit with my niece. I owe her, at the least, for that kindness. Humans are strange creatures, Jaken."

Jaken sighed sadly, "Yes, Master. They can be as cruel as Naraku, and yet as kind as Kagome. I've never understood it."

"Perhaps we are not meant to. Perhaps we are simply meant to learn from it."

Jaken stared at his master in astonishment, "Master Sesshomaru! I cannot believe what I am hearing!"

"Then keep your mouth _shut_ , Jaken, or I will kill you myself." The imp trembled at his Master's tone and fell silent. "There is something hidden going on here. There is a stench on the village that I cannot place, and yet it seems familiar to me. I must investigate this further. We will come to the castle once we have investigated the spot where I caught Kagome's scent originally. Return to Rin and tell her to make the castle ready for us."

Jaken nodded, "Y-Yes, Master Sesshomaru. So, I am not to stay with you?"

Sesshomaru growled, his eyes reddening, "No, you idiot! I ordered you to return home. Now, go. It would not do to have Inuyasha wake to find you here. I have no desire for him to discover just how much I know, or guess."

"Yes, Master Sesshomaru." With that, Jaken vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

In the creature's absence, the youkai sighed with relief, "What an idiot that imp is. I should have killed him long ago. I fear these demon raiding parties are only the beginning. Whatever is coming, it may be stronger even than Naraku. I hope not, but it is impossible to tell just now. Ah, Rin. Stay safe."

Sesshomaru turned his back to Inuyasha and did not see his brother's ears twitch, though he did hear the hanyou shift slightly. He assumed it was only Inuyasha shifting in his sleep and ignored it. _I knew you weren't being honest with me, brother,_ Inuyasha thought to himself, _But I'll keep my thoughts to myself until I find out what your real motivations are._ Inuyasha quieted his mind and allowed Kagome's face to drift into his mind for the first time in a year. The image calmed him and he quickly fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

As dawn began to lighten the sky, Inuyasha stirred gently and yawned. "You slept deeply last night. That is good. You'll be needing your strength," came the cool voice of Sesshomaru.

The hanyou rolled onto his side, groaning, "Did you really _have_ to kick me in the head last night? That _hurt_."  
The youkai smiled, "No, but it was fun," he responded coolly.

Inuyasha glared at him, "Whatever. Come on; we've gotta go."

Sesshomaru studied his brother, then nodded, "Well, you seem to be rested. Very well, we shall proceed."

Again, their journey continued on in silence, though there seemed to be a new tension in the air. For Inuyasha, it was due to what he'd overheard that night, but for Sesshomaru, there was an odd scent in the air. After a short time, the hanyou noticed it, as well and skidded to a stop, "Hey, wait a minute. What's going on here? Why does it smell like...Oh, no. I've smelled this before."

Sesshomaru spun to face his brother, "Explain."

"It smells like my village. I didn't notice it while I was home because I'd gotten used to it and the original scent has faded, but now I realize it smells like it did the night of the raid. You don't think..." the brothers glanced at each other and sprang quickly into action. They rushed to follow the stench, tracking it all the way to a small village...Only there _was_ no village any more. What remained were a hand full of demolished, smoking ruins and the bodies of people who had been slain as they'd tried to run. Many were missing body parts, and a number had clearly been bitten in half. Inuyasha stiffened, "It looks like what happened to my village. The only difference is that _these_ people didn't have a protector. Huh. That's odd. It also doesn't look like anyone was taken from this place. What do you think?"

Sesshomaru nodded, "I agree. This is greatly concerning. It tells me that whoever has banded these demons together is beginning to lose control of them. This can only bring trouble for the rest of us. What is it? What do you smell?"

Inuyasha had his nose to the ground and was sniffing around with gusto, "The dog demon that attacked Kagome. He was here. He's got too much of a head start, though; the scent is over a week old. He's long gone by now." The hanyou froze as another scent wafted through the air, "Wait. There's something else here. Kagome. It's faint, but it's there." The hanyou followed the faint scent to a building that looked like it had once been a barn and began to poke around inside. Just as he was about to give up, a small flash of red caught his eye. He sprung to the spot where he'd seen it and pulled out a small scrap of red cloth. "It's Kagome's. This is the last thing I saw her wearing," Inuyasha whispered. "Whatever happened here, Kagome was right at the center of it. She _has_ to be nearby."

Sesshomaru nodded, feeling oddly numb, "I don't know that she's still in the area, Inuyasha, but this definitely gives us something to track. Huh. We're actually quite near to where I found her scent originally. If I'd been only a little sooner, perhaps I would have found Kagome herself, rather than just a rock with a drop of her blood on it."  
Inuyasha spun around, surprised by the regret he heard in his brother's voice, "You sound almost... _guilty_. Huh. Anyway, it's not your fault. You assumed she was dead, just like everyone else. We are definitely one step closer to finding her, though. Hang on, there's still something off here. Do you know of any demons that lived in this village?" Sesshomaru shook his head negatively, "Well, then what were they doing here? You know somethin'? There are a whole lot of scents in this building, some demon, some human, some half. The _odd_ thing is that there aren't any bodies with the same scents. What does that tell you?" Again, Sesshomaru shook his head, "It tells _me_ that they weren't here for the villagers. They were here for _Kagome_ , and given all the other scents...I'd say we're looking at the aftermath of a jail break here. Also, look at this fabric. It didn't rip; it was _cut_. Kagome left this here for me to find."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "That is an excellent theory. It would certainly explain why no one seems to have been taken. At least, none of the _villagers_. I don't like this one bit."

Inuyasha nodded, "So much for they've lost control, eh? Might have been useful. Keh. Well, lead on, Sesshomaru. Where did you find the stone?" Without another word, the youkai led Inuyasha to the side of a mountain that was covered in beautiful pink flowers until about halfway up, where the mountainside became sheer cliff faces that were pock-marked with frequent caves. It took only a single inhale to catch the scent he'd been hoping for, only there was something wrong...It was _too_ strong. Too much copper in the scent. "She was here, alright. I don't like it. Do you smell it?"

Sesshomaru nodded, "Blood. Lots of it."

"Yeah. I don't like this at all." The hanyou took the lead, following the trail to a cave. The cave cut deep into the rock and sloped down, far, far into the heart of the mountain, all the while, Kagome's scent grew stronger, as did the scent of blood. _Kagome's_ blood; of that, he was certain. At long last, he knew that he was near and put on a burst of speed, turning a bend long before Sesshomaru. The youkai heard his brother cry out in anguish and redoubled his speed.

**Author's Note***

Phew. Our boys are hot on Kagome's trail! I've got some twists and turns in the next chapter, and also...Kouga shows up! Thanks for reading! Lots of love.

\- Lady Darkwind


	5. Chapter 5

***Author's Note***

As promised, Kouga shows up in this chapter! I'm glad you're all enjoying this one. ^_^ There's a big surprise at the end of this chapter for you, so have fun!

***End Note***

Sesshomaru skidded around the corner after his brother, stopping dead when the stench of week-old human blood flooded his nostrils. Someone had definitely been held here, and not pleasantly, given the wide blood stains on the floor and walls. "Is it hers?"

Inuyasha nodded numbly and held out a second, much longer scrap of red fabric that he was holding, "It's hers. She was here, Sesshomaru. Not that long before you came here. The dog demon's scent is here, too, but none of the other scents that were in that barn. I don't know what to make of this, to be honest. Other than the obvious, that is. She was tortured here. I can smell it in her blood. Wait...There's something else." Though it was the last thing he wanted to do, Inuyasha lowered himself to the ground and started to sniff around. A low growl emanated from his throat as he caught the scent, " _Kouga_ ," he snarled, "And not too long ago; earlier this morning, maybe. He might know something we don't."

Sesshomaru nodded, "It sounds plausible. If nothing else, perhaps he can help us track down this dog demon."

The hanyou's lip and ears twitched in distaste but he nodded, "If it helps us find her, okay. But the first time he pisses me off...I'm throwing him off a damn cliff."

Sesshomaru chuckled, "That's not a bad idea. I'll keep an eye out for acceptable cliffs."

The two sprinted from the cave, hard on the heels of Kouga's scent. To Inuyasha's surprise, it wasn't nearly as long a trail as he'd expected. The wolf demon was, in fact, waiting for them at the mouth of the cave. "Figured you'd be comin' along when I caught her scent. What gives, mutt? I thought she was _dead_."

Inuyasha snarled and punched Kouga right in the mouth, "Yeah, well I _thought_ she was, until yesterday, you damn mangy wolf!"

"Alright, alright. Look, I'm in the same tough spot as you, mutt. My Ayame was taken from me, just like your Kagome. Dragged off in the middle of the night by another damn mutt." Sesshomaru and Inuyasha started to snarl at the same moment, and Kouga suddenly seemed to realize he wasn't just talking to one dog demon, but _two_. "Ah – Well, I, uh...Hold on, hold on. Lemme start over. Look, all I know is I heard what happened to Kagome, and my situation sounded pretty damn similar, so I followed the dog's scent, and it led me _here_. I find no Ayame, but lots of Kagome everywhere. Saw all the blood, figured you'd be comin' along, didn't realize you'd bring your brother, though...either way, figured I'd help ya out, ya know?"

Inuyasha's eye twitched a few times before he took a deep breath, "Fine. But once we find her...you flirt with Kagome _one time_ , and I'll kill you. And stay out of my way. And don't piss Sesshomaru off. And stay upwind. You know what? Just don't do anything that's gonna annoy me or piss me off, so just hold your breath until you black out, okay?"

Kouga glared at the hanyou, "Why did I expect any better from you? Here I am, offering to help you find the woman you're supposedly in love with, and you're being an asshole! Guess Kagome woulda been better off with me, huh? _I_ wouldn'ta let her get snatched in the first place!"

There was a metallic hiss as Inuyasha drew Tetsuaiga, "Say that again. I dare ya."

Kouga took a step back, "Keh. Look. We've both got our mate to find, right?" Inuyasha nodded curtly, "So lets focus on that, 'kay?"

"Fine. But I'll probably kill you after, just cuz I hate your scent."

Sesshomaru sighed, "It's like being locked in a room full of teenagers. Both of you'd better shut up, or I'll kill you outright and find both of your mates, myself."

Inuyasha's ears twitched, "Um, Sesshomaru...What about Rin? Aren't we awful close to your castle?"

The youkai paled drastically and turned on his heel in the direction of his castle, leaving the other two behind. "Would you stop messing around and hurry _up_?", he called.

"Huh. Figured he'd have realized that sooner. Ah, well. Let's go."

"Shouldn't you hurry up a bit, mutt?"

"Why bother, you mangy wolf? I know his scent almost as well as I know Kagome's. Not like I'll miss the trail. Still...I don't feel like walking next to _you_ all day." Without another word, Inuyasha sprinted off, leaving Kouga in a cloud of dust. Inuyasha caught up to his brother in no time, and a couple of heartbeats later, so did Kouga. The three continued on in silence, both Inuyasha and Kouga sensing Sesshomaru's distress. By the time an hour had passed, they had finally drawn close enough to Sesshomaru's castle that they could see it. It was a grand thing, perched perfectly at the top of a mountain. Somewhere along the way, a bustling village had sprung up around the base of the mountain and spread up its side. The village went all the way to the gates of Sesshomaru's castle; Inuyasha was shocked that any humans would _ever_ want to live so near Sesshomaru, but perhaps the fact that he'd taken Rin as his mate had drawn the humans in. Either way, the village seemed undamaged, and the crowds parted respectfully to allow them to pass, bowing in reverence to Sesshomaru.

At last, they reached the gates of Sesshomaru's castle; the youkai, however, did not wait for the gates to open, but sprung over them, instead. Kouga and Inuyasha glanced at each other and shrugged before following suit. Sesshomaru had already sprinted across the courtyard and into the castle proper by the time Inuyasha and Kouga landed. They followed at a more sedate pace, giving the normally-collected youkai time to settle himself. When the two finally entered the room, Sesshomaru was lounging comfortably with a glass of sake in his hand and Rin by his side. Their daughter, Kagome, played on the floor beside them and Rin greeted him casually, "Hi, brother! Glad you made it to see us."

When he caught sight of the child, Inuyasha stiffened. The movement was spotted at once by Sesshomaru, "Yes, that's her. Kagome?" The little girl's dog ears twitched at her name, and she twisted her head around curiously to gaze at her father, "Say hello to Uncle Inuyasha."

The little girl squealed with delight and cried out, "Inusha! Hi, Unca Inusha!" She wobbled to her feet under the anxious eyes of her parents and weaved her way over to Inuyasha.

Just as she reached him, she stumbled and fell, but her Uncle caught her long before she hit the ground, "Oi. You gotta pay more attention to your feet, or you'll be as clumsy as your namesake." The girl responded by giggling madly and pulling at his ears, much to her Uncle's annoyance and her father's amusement, "Why's it always gotta be the _ears_ first?"

Kouga snorted out a laugh, drawing the toddler's attention, "Wolfy tail!", she cried out, abandoning her Uncle's ears in favor of Kouga's tail, "Wolfy, wolfy," she chanted in between giggles as she tried to catch Kouga's tail.

"Hey, cut it out, kid!" Kouga growled, jerking his tail out of the child's way. Not to be deterred, Kagome tried again, growing more and more persistent with each attempt. At last, Kouga abandoned all pretense of clam acceptance and dashed around the room screaming, "Get away! Hey, stop it! No fair!", with the toddler following as quickly as she could and giggling the whole way.

Inuyasha sat beside his brother and watched with mild amusement as the child chased Kouga in circles, accepting a glass of sake from a servant. "Baka. You'd think it'd occur to 'im to climb something. What an idiot."

Sesshomaru smiled, "It's good to see her enjoying herself. Things have been too serious around here of late."

Inuyasha cast a look of disbelief at his brother, "Yeah. Cuz you're _never_ serious." Sesshomaru did not answer. At last, Kagome grew tired and stopped chasing Kouga, though it was a few moments before he _realized_ that he was no longer being chased, which prompted a rare laugh from Sesshomaru. Kagome toddled over to her Uncle and crawled into his lap, fascinated with his beads of subjugation. She quickly grew bored with them, however, and took to treating Inuyasha like a jungle gym. Being well-used-to this treatment, however, Inuyasha simply adjusted however was needed for the girl not to fall and listened as Sesshomaru continued.

"Doesn't Kouga have children?"

Inuyasha nodded and shifted for the child who was currently trying to climb on top of his head, "Yeah, but from what I hear, Ayame does most of the work, and he just sits around all day, barking orders."

The wolf demon's tail twitched, "I can hear you, ya know..."

Before anyone could respond, the sky suddenly darkened and screams began to erupt from the village. Inuyasha sprung to his feet, ears and nose twitching, "This is _exactly_ what happened before that damn dog took Kagome!"

Sesshomaru tossed his sake aside and took hold of Rin's shoulders, "Run, Rin. Hide somewhere, and don't come out unless I tell you to! Go!" Rin spun and sprinted away, as quickly as her kimono would allow her to. "JAKEN!" Sesshomaru bellowed, "Take Kagome and hide with her. If _any_ harm comes to her, it will come out of your _flesh_ , understand!?"

Jaken nodded nervously and scurried away with the child struggling in his arms. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Kouga hurried to the courtyard, just in time to see the gates burst inward, admitting a flood of demons. They slowed for a moment, as if they had not expected to find _three_ powerful demons waiting for them, but they recovered quickly. Inuyasha drew the Tetsuaiga, Kouga, the Goraishi, and Sesshomaru the Bakusaiga. The three weapons glimmered and shone dangerously in the afternoon sun as the army of demons surged towards them. Between the three of them, they had the demons easily handled, but still... "Something's wrong," called Inuyasha, "The dog's not here! I can't smell him."

Kouga nodded, "Yeah, I agree with the mutt. No scent anywhere."

Just then, there came an enormous crash from the rear of the castle and the wind shifted direction, all at once. Suddenly, Inuyasha spun around, "That's _it!_ That's the scent! He's in the castle, Sesshomaru!"

The youkai spun on his heel with a desperate expression on his face, "No," he whispered as they heard a high, piercing scream come from Rin. "No, please." he rushed back into the house, leaving Kouga and Inuyasha with the demons.

"Go after my brother! I'll take care of these jokers," Inuyasha called. Kouga hesitated only a second before nodding and sprinting after Sesshomaru. Inuyasha activated his Wind Scar, and within seconds, the demons were gone. A roar of pure rage had him sprinting after the others, but too late. Sesshomaru was half-hanging out of a gaping hole in the side of the castle with nothing but open sky below him. Further down the mountain, they could see Rin in the mouth of the jet-black dog demon, reaching desperately for her beloved mate as she was carried away. "Oh, no. Not today, you don't!" Without hesitation, Inuyasha leaped out of the hole, making his way quickly down the cliff-face.

Sesshomaru jerked and gasped while Kouga muttered, "Damn crazy mutt's gonna get himself killed. Ah, well. Even demons only live _so_ long, right?" With that, he, too leaped from the castle, following quickly after Inuyasha.

The remaining youkai called for Jaken, who popped around the corner immediately, "Take care of Kagome. Take her to Inuyasha's village; the two of you will be safe there. Explain to Sango and Miroku what's happened, and tell them _I_ ordered you to ask for their protection. I'm going after Rin." Without another word, he followed after the other two, moving as swiftly as he could.

With his sharp ears, he heard a faint, "Yes, Master Sesshomaru!", from behind him, and knew he could be certain his daughter would be safe. Within moments, he had caught the other two, then rushed past them with little regard for his own safety. Inuyasha and Kouga increased their speed, following after the demon-thief. The scent of Rin's blood was heavy and fresh in the air and on the ground as they reached the bottom of he mountainside. None of the three paused for breath, but used the mountain as a kind of springboard, leaping into the air with ease and grace, landing at a run. Though the dog demon tried, he could not outrun his three pursuers. He changed his route suddenly, heading for a wooded area that was very close to his current route.

"He must be going for reinforcements," cried Inuyasha, "We _have_ to get there first!"

""Stop talking, then, and climb on," growled Sesshomaru as his snarl deepened and his face began to elongate as he showed his true from. Kouga and Inuyasha glanced at each other but said nothing. "Tell anyone of this, and I will personally kill you both," he snarled as he finished the transformation. Kouga and Inuyasha wisely kept quiet as they leaped onto Sesshomaru's back. There were few demons who could outrun Sesshomaru in his true form, and the black dog demon was no exception. Though the black dog demon redoubled his speed, Sesshomaru still gained on him. Suddenly, the dog demon vanished, and Sesshomaru paused, sniffing him out. He turned on a dime and sprinted through some trees into a hidden cave ( _What_ _ **is**_ _it with these guys and caves?_ Thought Inuyasha) just in time to hear the end of an argument.

"Well, why the hell did you lead them _here_?"

"It seemed like the only option at the time," came the response.

"Well, it sure as hell is now...They're here."

Sesshomaru shrugged, indicating that the other two should get down. They obliged, neither wanting to provoke him unnecessarily. They came slowly around the corner behind the massive dog demon, and suddenly a familiar scent all but assaulted Inuyasha. "Kagome! Where's my mate, you bastards!?" The two youkai grimaced and remained silent, staring at Sesshomaru's teeth, more or less ignoring the other two.

"You go get Kagome; Sesshomaru and I can handle these two jokers."

Inuyasha looked at Kouga with an expression of extreme gratefulness and sprinted off in the direction of Kagome's scent. He followed the passageway to a small chamber, and what he saw froze him to the core. His beloved Kagome was there, to be certain, but she was not alone. A spider demon had her trapped tightly in its web, and it seemed to be siphoning... _something..._ out of her. When the stream of whatever-it-was slowed, the spider would strike at Kagome, slashing viciously at her with its fangs so that she would scream in agony. Inuyasha felt his blood begin to boil as a fresh wave of the scent of Kagome's blood washed over him, "Drop. Her." he growled through gritted teeth. He brandished Tetsuaiga before him and repeated, "Drop. Her. _Now_."

The spider demon chuckled in a high, wheezy laugh, "Don't make me laugh, half-breed. She belongs to my Master, and she has such nice-tasting fear...She's his favorite. You should be grateful. Most aren't allowed to live so long. He has us heal her regularly. Something about the brave ones..."

Inuyasha snarled and sprung at the spider, giving it no chance to defend itself. Tetsuaiga came down on the demon's head, sliding easily along the abdomen and through the thorax, cutting the creature neatly in half. Its long legs twitched once, then laid still as the body began to smoke. Without hesitation, Inuyasha cut the strands that held Kagome and caught her gently as she fell. Her brown eyes flickered open and stared into Inuyasha's yellow ones. He was suddenly aware of Kouga and Sesshomaru standing behind him, but Inuyasha didn't care. " _Kagome_ ," he half-moaned, half-sobbed as she began to smile weakly.

"You found me," she whispered, "You _found_ me. I knew you would."

***Author's Note***

Yaaaay! Okay, next chapter there are going to be some _huge_ revisions. They'll make Sesshomaru's motivations more clear, and just be plain old fun! Thanks for reading!

\- Lady Darkwind


	6. Chapter 6

***Author's Note***

Okay! Here's another one for you, ladies and gents. There's a really great moment between Inuyasha and Kagome in this chapter; hope you like it! Enjoy, all!

***End Note***

Inuyasha ran his hands over every inch of Kagome, "But...But I don't understand. You were..."

Kagome shuddered, "I'll...Explain...Please..." Her eyes rolled back in her head until only the whites showed.

Sesshomaru came quietly behind the hanyou and laid a bloody hand on his brother's shoulder, "Come, we must leave. I have excellent Healers at my castle."

Inuyasha nodded, his hair falling over his face to hide his tears. He blinked rapidly a few times before lifting Kagome gently, as though she were made of ancient crystal and liable to break at any moment. As he turned with his mate in his arms; looking past Sesshomaru, he paused, "Sesshomaru...Where's Rin?"

The youkai stiffened, and it was as though a window slammed shut, closing off all emotion on Sesshomaru's face, "She is gone. This worthless wolf got in my way, and the dog escaped with Rin. His name is Noru, and I have a long hist...Ungh..." Just then, Sesshomaru's face went as pale as death itself and he sagged. He would have fallen, but Kouga sprung forward to catch him carefully.

Inuyasha stared at him in shock; until now, he had not noticed that his brother's robes were soaked in blood, so focused was he on Kagome. Now, though, he saw that Sesshomaru had received terrible wounds; there were long, deep cuts that had clearly been made by claws, starting at Sesshomaru's neck and continuing all the way down his torso. His robes had been shredded like they were little more than paper, baring his wounds to the open air. He had suffered a terrible bite on his right arm, which hung uselessly by his side, blood dripping from his fingertips. He had a few deep cuts on the left side of his face, and his left leg was bleeding madly from another wound – though from bite or claw, Inuyasha could not tell. "You can tell me what happened later. We've got to get you to your Healers. Kouga, help my brother. I'll carry Kagome."

For once, Kouga said nothing but simply carried out the task he had been set. He wriggled under Sesshomaru's left arm, trying not to hurt him any further and helped the much taller youkai out of the caves and into the light. When the sun hit his eyes, Sesshomaru flinched and groaned. Kouga glanced at Sesshomaru, concern written clearly across his face, but continued to say nothing. It was then that Inuyasha realized that the wolf demon was holding his breath as often as he could and taking shallow breaths through his mouth when he could not; the poor guy looked distinctly green. Then again, Inuyasha could understand why. _Given all the different types of demons that have been wandering around here lately, not to mention all the clashing scents of blood in there...yeah, I can understand why it'd make him nauseous. He should be okay once we get clear from this hell hole._ They made what haste they could, given their wounded comrades and eventually made their way out of the forest. Once they reached open terrain, they were able to make better progress. Eventually, Sesshomaru was no longer able to support his own weight, and Kouga carried the older youkai on his back, though he could feel the youkai's displeasure practically radiating from him. Had Sesshomaru not lost consciousness shortly thereafter, Inuyasha was certain he would have complained non-stop. He was silent, however, as Inuyasha and Kouga redoubled their speed, reaching the village in only a few hours; they were still forced to move more slowly so as not to jolt their prospective passengers.

At last, they reached the village and leaped through the remains of the gate. Immediately, Healers swarmed them, taking both Sesshomaru and Kagome into their custody. Inuyasha made to follow, but was stopped by the elder Healer, "Please, sir. We will take care of Lord Sesshomaru and the girl. It would be a better help to us if you would remain here."

Inuyasha snarled, "That's my _mate_ you're talking about in there!"

The healer smiled kindly, "I see. Well, in that case, I suggest that you find something to keep your hands busy, Master Inuyasha. We will do the best that we can for them both. Given that she is your mate...I expect she will respond well to our treatments, as will my Lord Sesshomaru. Please, Master; remain here. Help in the village, if you feel you must do something, but stay out of the castle." The man cast a pleading glance at Inuyasha and rushed after his underlings to tend to his patients. There was already a sort of triage set up in the courtyard; all of the wounded had been carried to safety so that the Healers could see to them. Even now, the trainees were circulating through the wounded villagers, tending them as best they could. _These poor people were overwhelmed. Even_ _ **with**_ _Sesshomaru's protection, they were nearly wiped out. If Kouga and I hadn't been here..._

Kouga seemed to be thinking along the same lines, "These people would have all been killed if we hadn't been here to help. Dunno 'bout you, mutt, but I'm glad we were. I know they're mostly human, but still...Nobody deserves to die like this."

Inuyasha nodded, "For once, we have something we can agree on, wolf. Come on, they'll find us when there's something to tell us. Until then, let's go help in the village." Inuyasha's hand flew to his neck, slapping at a slight prickle he felt there.

Kouga stared at him, "What the hell is _wrong_ with you, mutt? You got fleas?"

Inuyasha glared, "Just one. What the hell do you want, Myoga?"

The flea groaned, "Kind as ever, Master Inuyasha. I am so relieved that you survived! I also see that you found Kagome – and alive, no less! Well done, Master; well done!"

Inuyasha brought his hand to his face and glowered at the minuscule demon with a look of sheer aggravation, "I notice _you_ didn't bother to show up, Myoga! What? Too scary for ya? Well, here's something that'll _really_ scare ya...How is it you didn't know she was alive? Think hard, or I'll crush you like a grape."

Myoga hopped nervously in his Master's hand, "Um, well, you see...I don't have the sense of smell you do..."

"Liar."  
"Alright, fine. I don't know, Master Inuyasha. I should have been able to find her, but..."

Inuyasha's eyes and mouth twitched, "Myoga...Why don't you just say it? You didn't look because you were _scared_." The tiny flea trembled, but said nothing. "Because of your cowardice, Kagome was left to be tortured for a _YEAR_ , Myoga! And, what? You expect a hero's welcome? To hell with that, and to hell with _you_! Now, if you'll excuse me, you damn leach, I have work to do." Inuyasha flicked the flea, sending him flying. Still seething, the hanyou sped off into the village, leaving Kouga to catch up. By the time the wolf managed to track him down, Inuyasha had already offered his services to an older woman who was trying to clean up the remains of her house so that it could be rebuilt. Without so much as looking at each other, the two had the woman's house cleared within twenty minutes; it had quickly become a silent competition between the two to see who would clear their half of the house faster. Once the remains of the house had been cleared, they go to work building a new one for her. This task took them far longer, and they enlisted the aid of a few more villagers. With the extra help, they were able to get the final touches on the house finished just as one of the Healer-trainees came sprinting down from the castle.

"Master Inuyasha," he called, glancing around. "Master Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha looked down at the boy from his vantage point at the crest of the new roof that he and Kouga were finishing and called down, "Yeah, what?"

The boy glanced up, "My Master has sent me for you, sir. Lord Sesshomaru and your mate..."

Without waiting for the boy to finish, Inuyasha leaped from the roof and made his way quickly back towards the castle. The poor trainee was left to hurry along behind at his human pace. The hanyou burst into the castle in short order, sniffing desperately at the air to catch Kagome's scent. A door slid open at the end of the hall, and his head snapped around when he caught her scent wafting through that door. He slowly stalked to the room, every sense on alert for anything that might not be quite right, his claws extended, just in case. The Master Healer stood in the doorway, standing perfectly still; it seemed he had been in Sesshomaru's service long enough to know that when a dog demon is under extreme stress, it is usually best to remain perfectly still to avoid any...unpleasant accidents. Inuyasha crept slowly through the door, and there she was. His Kagome, safe and sound, laying on a bed of pillows and well-insulated with blankets. He retracted his claws and slowly straightened, feeling suddenly and inordinately exhausted. "How is she?" he whispered to the old Healer.

The man sighed and came slowly to Inuyasha's side, "She is impressively strong, Master Inuyasha. We uncovered innumerable scars from the past year alone showing undeniable signs of frequent and repeated torture. To be honest, given some of those wounds, I don't know how she survived."

Inuyasha spoke softly, "I may be able to answer that; I heard one of her _captors_ saying that his master had him heal Kagome to keep her from dying so that he could continue 'working on her.'"

The man paled, "Well, that would certainly explain a few things. However, Master Inuyasha...I cannot be certain yet, but...I am so sorry, but it seems that she may not be able to have children after this trauma."

Inuyasha's heart squeezed uncomfortably in his chest, and he had to remember how to breath for a moment before he could respond, "I understand. It's not your fault, I know that. I'm not my brother, Master Healer. We already have one daughter, so we'll just have to be more thankful than ever that we have her. Other than that...How is she?"

The Healer looked on Inuyasha with great respect in his eyes, "She is resting just now. Her wounds were extensive, but it seems she is already beginning to heal; I can only assume this is a product of being your mate?" Inuyasha nodded slightly, not taking his eyes off of Kagome's sleeping form. "Well, if she were a regular human, she would not have survived our treatment. Some of her lesser wounds are already beginning to close. It seems that her will to live is quite impressive; she spoke a few times while we were working on her. It was always the same word – your name, Master. Your mate loves you very much."

Inuyasha turned his head away so the man would not see the tears in his eyes, "Thank you. I would like to be alone with my mate for a little while, if that's alright. I won't touch her, don't worry. I just need to sit beside her."

The old man studied him for a moment before nodding, "Very well, Master Inuyasha." To the Healers that remained in the room, he called, "Clear out for a little while, please. Master Inuyasha would like to sit with his mate."

As the man turned to leave, Inuyasha seemed to recall something and turned to catch the man's elbow, "My brother...Sesshomaru. How is he?"

The Healer smiled, "You truly are different from him, aren't you? Your brother is...Well, resting. I cannot say that he is comfortable, but he is resting. I fear there is little we can do for him, save keep him comfortable while he heals himself. Mostly, I fear he is pining for Rin. You must keep his hopes up, Master, or I fear your brother may not survive. Some of those wounds were perilously close to his heart, and it has suffered enough damage already from the loss of Rin."

Inuyasha nodded, "I'll look after him once I've sat with Kagome for a while."

"Very well, Master. Forgive me, but I have many other patients to see to at the moment. I will return later to see how you are all doing."

He nodded and walked across the room to sit on the tatami beside Kagome. "I thought you were dead," he whispered into the silence, "I thought you had gone where I can't follow. You won't believe how much Momoko has grown. She looks just like you, especially when she smiles. Except for the ears, hair, and eyes...Those, she gets from me. Keh. Listen to me; like you don't know what your own daughter looks like. I left her with Sango and Miroku. I figured it'd be best to leave them all behind. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, so...Damn. I have no idea why I'm babbling." Inuyasha's throat closed as his eyes filled once again with tears, "I hope you don't think any less of me," he choked as they began to spill over, "I'd lost you...Now I have you back. I can't..."

Inuyasha jerked in surprise as Kagome laid her hand on her beloved's head, "I understand," she whispered, "I'm just happy to be with you again. I can't wait to see her again, once this is all finished. We have to find Ayame, though; they were keeping her with me, until I escaped."

Inuyasha wiped his eyes and nodded, "Yeah, I already figured that out. Gotta figger you put together some damn prison break or other. Only, it didn't work right, eh? Baka. Shoulda let me come for you."

Kagome smiled, "You sound just like I remember." Tears welled in her eyes, "I missed you so much!"

She reached for him, and he obliged, taking her gently into his arms and burying his face in her hair, "Shh, now, shh. I'm here, and those bastards will _never_ get you again. They took Rin, too. Kouga's here with me; we're at Sesshomaru's castle. Sesshomaru's pretty badly hurt. Looks like I'll be splittin' my time between ya. I don't like it, but _somebody's_ gotta look after the bastard."

Kagome nodded and sighed softly, "It's okay. You're only one guy, after all. You can't be everywhere at once. Just...Would you lay with me until I fall asleep again before you go? I'm terrified to close my eyes and find this was all a dream, or close my eyes and be back _there_ again."

Inuyasha smiled, the first real smile that had touched his face in a year, "Of course. I'll try not to jostle you too much." The hard knot of ice that had been in his heart for the last year loosened and began to melt away as he slid under the blankets and wrapped his left arm gently around Kagome. Outside, he could tell that the Healers were watching through the crack in the door, tittering at the romance of it all, but he didn't give one hairy damn. He had his Kagome back, and that was all that mattered to him. To keep himself from falling asleep, he placed his elbow on the pillows, propping his head up with his hand. His ears twitched towards the sound of her heartbeat, and the beat of his heart slowed to match hers. Before long, her breath slowed and she fell into a quiet, peaceful slumber. He laid there for a long while, just watching her sleep, feeling his heart warm further as a stupid grin spread across his face. All too soon, however, his recollection of his duty to his thrice-damned brother invaded the peaceful moment and he slid carefully out from under the blankets, tucking them in around her back to be sure she did not catch cold, and stood. He padded silently back across the room and slid the door open just enough for him to slip out and leave her to her peaceful slumber.

A younger, female Healer came forward, "Sir, Lord Sesshomaru is..."

Inuyasha held up a hand, silencing her, "I know where he is. I can smell him from here."

"Smell...?" She said, confused."

Inuyasha smirked, "Ah; you gotta be new around here, yeah? Keh. Amateur. We're _dog_ demons, baka."

The Master Healer hustled over to them, hearing the beginnings of irritation in his voice, "Master Inuyasha; I hope your mate is resting comfortably. I trust you can find your brother with little effort?"

Inuyasha smiled and nodded, "Yeah; thanks, old man."

Behind him, his sharp ears heard the woman whisper, " _That's_ Inuyasha?"

"Yes," the older man confirmed in the same tone, "But don't bother whispering. He can hear us both. He's just being polite."

Inuyasha paused and turned back, "Polite, my ass! I just don't give a damn!" He stalked off down the hall to where he found his brother's scent to be most potent and slid the door open quietly, wrinkling his nose at the stench. From the massive mound of pillows, Sesshomaru's yellow eyes opened, tracking his brother's movements as he padded across the room to sit on the tatami beside Sesshomaru. "Kagome's gonna be fine. She's resting right now, if you wanted to know, not that I think you give a hairy damn. We'll find her, Sesshomaru. We'll find Rin, and we'll tear this Noru apart when we find him." Sesshomaru nodded silently, allowing his eyes to slide shut, falling back to sleep. Inuyasha sighed softly, resigning himself to an _extremely_ long night.

***Author's Note***

Nice little moment between Inuyasha and his brother there...But you'll see in the next chapter that Sesshomaru doesn't really take kindly to being cared for by his brother! Oh, _boy_ is the next chapter going to be fun! Thanks for reading; lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	7. Chapter 7

***Author's Note***

So, not that many scenes between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru in this chapter, but there's a lot more Inuyasha/Kagome sweetness! You're going to see our friends getting ready for war, too! Enjoy!

***End Note***

During the night, Inuyasha slunk from room to room, making sure that they were both resting comfortably. When one would wake, he would hurry to their room to see to their needs and be sure they got back to sleep, only to rush back to the other room, generally to do more of the same. Sesshomaru, however, did his level best to make things difficult for him. He did everything from throwing food and water across the room, rather than have Inuyasha give it to him, to taking a swipe at the hanyou when he got too close. The whole while, though he could barely speak, Inuyasha was certain that the youkai was silently cursing him. In this manner, the night passed slowly with Inuyasha half-expecting to hear bad news from the Healers at any moment. At long last, the stars began to close their eyes and retire to their beds, while the sun began her long, tireless climb into the sky, where she would stand watch over the little people below. Just before dawn, Inuyasha sat beside Kagome with Tetsuaiga's hilt resting comfortably against his shoulder, and its tip on the floor. His ears were drooping low on his head, and his chin kept dropping every time he blinked. Kouga watched from the doorway as Inuyasha's eyes closed and did not reopen; his head laid on his arm, which held Tetsuaiga, and his breathing slowed as he finally fell asleep. Grabbing one of the Healers gently by the elbow, he whispered, "See to it that no one disturbs Inuyasha; he's been running on sheer will for too long now. He needs to sleep." The Healer nodded and murmured an affirmative as she bustled off to pass the message on to one of her superiors. _Poor girl looks like she could use a cot, herself,_ Kouga thought to himself.

Up the hall, he heard Sesshomaru cough and groan as he shifted beneath his blankets "Inuyasha?" he called as loudly as he could. Given the wounds on his throat, the sound was barely more than a breath.

His wolf's ears caught the sound, though, and he padded gently down the hall to the demon-lord's room. Sesshomaru glared at Kouga when he entered the room, holding up his hands defensively, "I know, you called for Inuyasha. He just passed out, and if you ask me, he's damn well _earned_ it." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and gave a pathetic approximation of a growl, "I know you like me less than he does, probably, but I'll just have to do until he wakes up." The youkai grunted his answer and Kouga smiled, "Yeah, what a pain in the ass this has been, huh? Teaming up with a couple of irritating guys like us? Hey; just be glad I didn't bring any of the rest of my tribe. They wanted to come, you know, but I told 'em they'd just slow me down. Good thing, too." Sesshomaru glared at the wolf demon, who quickly fell silent. There was an empty pitcher sitting on the floor beside Sesshomaru, which he looked at pointedly. At first, Kouga was confused, "Wha-Oh! You want water? I'll go get some for you."

Sesshomaru tried to groan, only the sound came out more like a wheeze. _I think I'm going to kill him if he doesn't shut up. At least Inuyasha sits quietly unless he thinks I want something. He may be irritating, but at least he doesn't feel the need to fill the air with chatter. Oh, Rin._ Her face swam into his mind, unbidden. _Where have they taken you? However far it is, I_ _ **will**_ _find you._

Kouga burst into the room, proudly carrying a pitcher of water, "Here ya go! You wanna drink from the pitcher, or a bowl?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed with insult, then suddenly went red. The wolf demon paled, set the water down, and ran out of the room, forgetting to shut the door behind him. The youkai grinned wickedly and released the heat that always came with the transformation, stopping it before it really started. _I hate wolves_ , he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Kagome had woken from her deep sleep to find Inuyasha sitting beside her, fast asleep. She smiled to herself, _It wasn't a dream. Inuyasha came for me. I was beginning to think he never would. I dreamed of him so much that it's a little hard to believe he's really here with me! It's over. At last, that terrible nightmare is_ _ **over**_ _!_ Just then, Inuyasha stirred and opened one eye to see Kagome staring up at him. He smiled softly at her, his eyes warming; the sensation felt odd to him, after so long being numb. "There you are," she said out loud, smiling back.

The hanyou sat up, raising his arms high above his head and rolling his neck, trying to stretch out the kinks that inevitably came with sleeping in such a position. "I keep expecting to wake up and find that this has all been a dream. Then I wake up, and you're still here." Inuyasha reached out and gently took Kagome's hand, "I swear to you, no matter what the evidence next time, I will not stop searching until I find you!"

Kagome drew his hand to her lips and kissed it gently, "I know you will. How did you find me?"

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, "Sesshomaru. He was looking for some flowers for Rin, and he came across your scent. He came to get me, and he helped me find you. So did that damn wolf, if I'm being honest. Ayame got snatched, so he was already out looking for _her_ , but Rin...Well, she got taken while we were having a quick rest before looking for you more. She was taken to the caves where we found you, but they got away with her while Sesshomaru was fighting them. He was torn up pretty bad; he's in about the same shape as you right now."

Kagome's brow furrowed with concern, "Oh, no. I hope we find her soon." Kagome started to shift like she was trying to get up, but Inuyasha gently restrained her.

"Whoa, wait a minute. What the hell do you mean _we_? You're not goin' anywhere 'til you're better! You just lie still and rest. Don't worry, though; we have to wait for Sesshomaru to heal, anyway. You're not gonna miss any of the action. Do you really think I'd let you out of my sight now that I've found you again?"

Kagome flushed, "No, I suppose not." She sighed, "Oh, it is _so_ good to be around friendly faces again. Although...I _am_ going to need some new clothes, My old ones were a little..."

"Shabby? Ripped? Little more than rags? Torn to shreds?"

Kagome lifted a hand and laid it gently on Inuyasha's lips, "Yeah. All of that, and covered in blood, too. I don't suppose they'd have the right robes..."

Inuyasha chuckled, his eyes widening at the sound, "Huh. Been a while since I laughed. Anyway, There's a shrine on the other side of the village. I sent Kouga yesterday to see if they had anything for you to use. They had plain white robes; not really what you're used to, but...I _think_ they'll do, right?"

Kagome nodded, "Yes, I think they'll be fine for now. Thanks, Inuyasha."

Just then, a familiar voice called from the door, " _Kagome_!", and Shippo was suddenly across the room and hugging her neck tightly.

Inuyasha's eye twitched as he grabbed the young kitsune by the tail and yanked him away from Kagome. He carried the fox to the door and drop-kicked him, shouting, "Get the hell out of here, you idiot! She's hurt, can't you see that?"

Not to be deterred, Shippo hurried back into the room, "Hang on, Inuyasha! I just came from Sango and Miroku's; Jaken was there, and he said you and Sesshomaru might be close to finding Kagome, so they asked if I'd bring some things over." He held his tiny hands out in front of him, and the "things" appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Oh, S _hippo_ ," whispered Kagome. In Shippo's hands were her favored robes, her bow, and a quiver full of arrows. "Shippo, this is wonderful. Thank you," she whispered, her voice growing faint with exhaustion.

Inuyasha's ears pinned back anxiously, "Okay, Kagome. That's enough. Don't push it too far, okay? Just get some rest, and I'll see about helping you get dressed tomorrow."

"O...kay..." Kagome breathed as she sank back into sleep again.

Inuyasha sighed as the exhausted priestess' breathing evened out, "Well, at least we know Sesshomaru's daughter is safe. He'll be glad to hear that. Speaking of which, I'd better go let him know."

"Can I come, too?" Shippo whispered, "I don't want to wake Kagome."

Inuyasha smiled gently, "Sure."

Shippo stared, "You...You smiled. I mean, really _really_ smiled. That _never_ happens anymore!"

Inuyasha's entire face convulsed, "Shippo...Shut _up!_ " The hanyou raised his fist and slammed it down on the young kitsune' head, causing him to cry.

From the bed of pillows where Kagome lay, Inuyasha heard the dreaded words, "Inuyasha..." He froze in terror, "Sit, boy."

The beads of subjugation glowed menacingly and suddenly, Inuyasha was dragged down to the floor, his face slammed into the tatami mats with a booming crash, causing Shippo to giggle with glee. "Braghfgah," was all Inuyasha said, his face still crammed against the mats, before crawling away in the hopes of avoiding another "sit" command.

Inuyasha stood when he felt he'd reached a safe distance and walked the rest of the way to Sesshomaru's room, cursing under his breath the whole way. Sliding the doors open, he heard a faint whisper, "I heard a crash...She _must_ be awake."

Inuyasha growled, "Yes. Now shut up."

"What made her tell you to sit?"

The hanyou glowered at his brother, his hands twitching with the desire to strangle the rat bastard, and his eye twitching in irritation. At last, he snarled, "Shippo."

"Ah," breathed the youkai, "The kitsune is here. I thought I smelled fox. What does he want?"

"Jaken reached my village. Kagome is safe. Shippo was just bringing some clothes and weaponry for Kagome."

"Hm. That's good. We'll need her powers, if we're going to find Rin."

"Yeah, well. Don't go puttin' her in too much danger right off, a'right?"

"That all depends on how much danger Rin is in."

Inuyasha bristled with anger, "Keh. Also known as hold my breath, right? You are _such_ an asshole." With that statement, Inuyasha stormed out of the room to find Kouga and Shippo talking loudly in Kagome's room. Her face had gone waxen, and her eyes dull with pain. A low growl ripped from the hanyou's throat, "Out," he whispered in a deadly voice, "Can't you see she's tired? Get _out_. You. Wolf. Take those robes back to the shrine. She doesn't need 'em anymore."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, SHE DON'T NEED 'EM!?" Bellowed Kouga.

Inuyasha said nothing, only brought his fist up with incredible speed and smashed the loud-mouthed wolf right in the mouth, lifting him off his feet and sending him through a door. He stood in the now-permanently-open door, snarling at the wolf demon, "I said she doesn't need them. Shippo brought hers for her. Now, _go_." His eyes had gone red in his anger, and Kouga decided to take his chances with the monks, rather than an angry Inuyasha. _Sheesh,_ Kouga thought to himself, _I've seen the mutt mad before, but I've never seen him so close to the edge. He's usually in such tight control of_ _ **that**_ _side of himself. I just hope he doesn't snap and shred anybody._

The hanyou stomped back inside, shoving a petrified Shippo out of his way and sliding the doors shut with a firm _snick_ sound. "You didn't...have to...shout...Inu...Yasha" came the weak scold from the pillows.

Inuyasha smiled and turned, "You might not think so, but it really _was_ necessary. Don't worry; I didn't seriously hurt anyone. I think the wolf's head's too thick to cause any real damage by throwing him through a door..."  
Kagome sighed, "Inuyasha" he flinched again, "You're hopeless. Come sit by me."

At the word "sit", the beads glowed again and slammed the hanyou into the floor, earning another unintelligible "Garwarfghbgack" from him.

"Oops," said Kagome, "I really didn't mean to say 'sit'. Oops! Sorry again!" Her hands hovered over the blankets, which was as high as she could raise her arms, "I forgot how careful I have to be to avoid saying...Uh... _That_ word."

Inuyahsa crawled over to his mate on all fours with his bum sticking up in the air, collapsing in a heap beside her on the tatami, "Urgh. Woman, you're going to kill me doing that."

Kagome frowned, "I said I was sorry. What do you want from me?"

Inuyasha sighed, "Well...A kiss probably wouldn't _hurt_..." Kagome glowered at him for a heartbeat, then shrugged. Inuyasha beamed in triumph, leaning down to kiss her as gently as he could manage, which was easier said than done the moment he tasted her lips. He'd forgotten how sweet she tasted. Some kind of mixture of chocolate, strawberries, and just a little cinnamon, he thought. He sighed with sheer pleasure and curled up beside her, nipping quickly under the blankets and laying his head beside hers on the pillow. Within moments, they were both asleep again.

The next morning, Inuyasha woke to an empty bed. He attempted to spring out of bed, only to find that the blankets had tangled around him. He managed to half-stand before falling in an undignified sprawl to the tatami. Glancing up, he saw Kagome, dressed and standing on her own two feet (although she still looked too pale for his liking) and gazing down at him with laughter in her eyes, "Well, good morning. I didn't go very far, don't worry. I'm afraid I still can't make it very far on my own, though. It took me an hour, just to get dressed."

Inuyasha disentangled himself from the blankets and stood, "Well, it's a good thing I'm here then, isn't it? Long as you don't say 'sit' any more."

Kagome chuckled weakly, "That depends on whether or not you behave."

"Ugh. You're impossible. Do you want to walk, or be carried?"  
Kagome thought for a moment, "Walk. Slowly, though. It's been a long time since I did much of that. It's probably why I was recaptured so quickly."

Inuyasha held out his arm for her, "Well, let's not talk about that right now. We can discuss it when you and Sesshomaru are both fully recovered. Right now, lets just take a nice, quiet walk around the village. Maybe we can find something you can do. Something with _no_ heavy lifting, moving around a lot, or any other kind of energy-using... _stuff_. Shut up."

Kagome giggled and laid her head on her beloved hanyou's shoulder as they walked slowly out of her room, "No worries. I doubt I could walk on my own, let alone lift a bunch of bricks right now. I was thinking of planting something, or sewing. Something like that."

Inuyasha grinned happily, "Well, I think we might be able to find something for you to do."

The moment they stepped out into the courtyard, Healers came bustling towards them from every direction, each one insisting she was not well enough to stand for some reason or another. Inuyasha was growing impatient and angry with them when the Master Healer called for silence. He walked calmly over to Kagome and examined her quickly, "Well, now. She is healing at a _remarkable_ rate. This must be what happens when a human mates with a demon; I have noticed the same trait in Lady Rin. As long as she is careful and takes her time, I don't see why she can't go into the village. Just be sure to carry her if you think she can't manage, Master Inuyasha."

The hanyou smiled broadly, "No worries. I won't give her a choice." Without another word, the two headed slowly into the village, pausing now and again to give Kagome a chance to catch her breath. Eventually, they made their way to the area that had been hit the hardest by the demon raid. Inuyasha pointed to the house he and Kouga had built, "See that over there?"

"That cute little house?"

"Mmhmm. I built that. With the wolf's help, but still. I think it's kinda nice, don't you?"

Kagome looked at him with surprise, "You and _Kouga_ built it!? Wow. I'm surprised it's still standing. Did you fight over every scrap of wood?" She asked with a giggle.

The hanyou rolled his eyes, "No. We didn't really speak much. You and Sesshomaru were both being seen to by the Healers, and they wouldn't let me in. I had to do _something_." A knowing look came into Kagome's eyes, though she remained silent. "Anyway, this area still looks pretty bad. Let's see what we can do to help." A crowd of people parted before them, many reaching for Inuyasha's Fire Rat robe to kiss the sleeves and thank him for helping them. Suddenly, Kagome's foot caught on a loose pebble, and he lunged, scooping her into his arms before she so much as got her stockings dirty. "Are you alright?"

Kagome flushed, "I'm fine. I'm just...Not used to walking, I guess. My legs are still weak. I think I can walk some more, if you'll let me try."

The hanyou studied her for a moment, then shook his head, "Not right now. Later, but for now, you need to sit for a while. Wait here." He hurried off to speak to the villagers and see if there was anything they needed from her. Surprisingly, the overwhelming answer was medical attention. Kagome thought for a moment and told them that if Inuyasha could carry her from house to house, she would see to them personally. Happy for something to do, and more pleased to see Kagome regaining her vitality, Inuyasha readily agreed. He told her to wait where she was and asked the villagers to look after her until he returned, then sprang back up the mountain to beg the Healers to loan his mate a medicine satchel and bandages. After explaining his plan to the Master Healer, they accepted the offer gratefully; it seemed that many of their Healers had been wounded or killed in the attack, and the rest had not slept since. In short, they were running on fumes, and had been unable to get to some of the villagers that were either too ill or not ill enough to be brought to the castle.

The hanyou hurried back to Kagome with the supplies, beaming with happiness. Kagome smiled brightly at him when he proudly showed her his acquisitions, slung the satchel and pouch that held the bandages over his shoulder, then carefully lifted her into his arms, keeping her tight against his chest, where her head rested in the crook where his neck and shoulder met. For the remainder of the day, he carried her from house to house, visiting the sick and wounded, making appointments to come back the next day. Inuyasha's heart swelled as he watched her work her craft, growing happier with every patient she saw. By the time they were done, he seemed to be glowing with happiness and love for her. By now, they had drawn a large crowd of people, many of them children. The children played and laughed around them, while the adults tried to get her to go to "just one more" house. At last, Inuyasha put his foot down, "Look. She's exhausted. If you need her, speak with the wolf demon, Kouga. He will tell us who needs what in the morning." Inuyasha carefully sprung over their heads, traveling to the castle from rooftop to rooftop.

For the next three days, they continued the new routine, Kagome growing a little stronger every day, until they had managed to make their way to every house with sick and wounded. By the time she was done, most were either recovered, or well on the way, while the rest had treatment plans with the castle Healers. "We couldn't have managed without the two of you," the elder Healer stated simply, "I wish the circumstances of your arrival had been more pleasant, but I'm glad you were here to help."

"Me, too," Kagome agreed, her voice much stronger. "I don't think we'll need to stay around much longer. My strength has returned, and we have to get on the trail of those demons."

From behind them, a calm, cool voice stated, "I couldn't agree more, Kagome. We will leave in the morning. I am relieved that you are fully recovered; I am, as well." Sesshomaru did, indeed look healthier. His color was back to normal, his eyes bright and no longer dulled with pain, and he no longer limped. There were, however, a number of fresh scars that were certain to fade within a couple of weeks. "We _must_ find Rin and Ayame, before these demons strike again, and I have little doubt that they will."

Inuyasha nodded, "Right; I think it's time you stop holding back, brother, and don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. I heard you and Jaken talking that night you thought I was asleep."

Sesshomaru snarled softly, "I should have known. You went along far too easily after that. Yes, I do know more than I let on, but I couldn't be _sure_. I know the black-furred dog demon, certainly. As I began to tell you in the caves, his name is Noru. He despised father and all that he stood for. It is not so great a stretch to hate us, as well, Inuyasha, given that we both have human mates. He and father had many great battles, though finally Noru defeated him, but then he was much younger than father, so I should not be surprised. Father did not perish, however; we both know how and where he _did_ die. Noru swore to destroy all demons that either mated with or protected humans. I can easily see why he would want to join up with this cause, given that he would have eventually gotten a chance to take us on. Now, as for who I believe to be behind this...There are many possibilities, but none so likely as Moshiro."

Inuyasha cast a confused look at his brother, "Moshiro? I've never heard of him."

"Of course you haven't, you imbecile. He prefers to remain out of the light, _literally_. He's a shadow demon, and he has a particular talent for getting other demons to do his dirty work for him. He is not a coward – only very, very shrewd. He excels at confusing trails and leading pursuers in circles for his own amusement. He is one of the most dangerous demons I have ever known, and the one that I despise the most. Yes, Inuyasha, I hate him more than I hate even you. For centuries now, he has slowly been gathering power. He kept his wits about him during the madness brought about by the Sacred Jewel, the Naraku mess, and so forth. He managed to keep his power steadily growing through it all, and was wise enough to bide his time while he waited for things to settle and grow inattentive again. He is a most persuasive demon, which allows him to control vast legions of varying breeds."

Inuyasha huffed out a breath, "Great. Sounds like a load of fun. How do we find him?"

Sesshomaru sighed, "That is where we have our first problem. I don't know. No one does. However, I do know what he _eats_."

"Fear," whispered Kagome, "He eats fear. That's why they took us. We would be more afraid than most when our mates did not come for us. 'He likes the brave ones best', that's what my guards would say to me. I was his favorite." She shuddered, her face pale again. Inuyasha rushed to her side and wound his arms around her, stroking her hair comfortingly. "I'm alright," she said, "Well, then. I say we find those that have been taken and get them out of his grasp, starting with Ayame and Rin. I can't bear the thought of them still being captives of those _maniacs_ while I'm walking freely."

Sesshomaru smiled at her, "Thank you, Kagome. It pleases me that you fear for her as I do."

Kouga coughed loudly, "What about me, huh? What about my mate? Are you glad Kagome worries about _her_ , too?"

Sesshomaru shot the wolf demon a withering glance, "Why would I give a thought to your mate? She is nothing to me, unless she has knowledge of the whereabouts of Rin."

The wolf growled under his breath, but before he could say anything, Kagome made sure she was between them, "That is _enough_. You're grown adults, now act like it! I am worried about all those people, human and demon alike, that I was imprisoned with. I tried to save _all_ of them, not just the ones I knew. Yes, Kouga, Ayame was among them. The spider demons are the jailers; not that difficult to get away from, once you get out of their webs. Freaky looking, but not terribly bright or fast. It was Noru that caught up to us. Those poor people in that village didn't even know we were in their barn." Kagome's eyes were wide with the memory; she could still see the fires, still smell the burning flesh and the scent of death. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she continued, "They never had a chance. I was too weak to use my powers, as were the others. We thought our best bet was to hide until it was over, but they found us anyway. They made us watch as they tore the children of the village apart for our punishment. They stopped keeping us together after that. They took each of us to separate locations when they caught us. They were particularly... _focused_ on my torture that night." She shuddered again and gasped as the tears flowed more freely.

Inuyasha settled her head on his shoulder, where she buried her face in his hair until she had calmed down, "Whatever you want, Sesshomaru, I'm in. They're going to pay for what they've done."

Kouga snarled, "For once, and I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I agree with the mutt."

Sesshomaru smiled his most unpleasant smile, "Well, then. We must try to find out where they've gone to hide, mustn't we?"

Kagome sniffed, drying her eyes, "I think I might know a few places," she said softly as every eye turned towards her.

***Author's Note***

Dun dun duuuuuuuuun. Haha. Sorry about that. Anyway, we're getting close to meeting our Big Bad; hope you're ready! Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a review, if you'd like. Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	8. Chapter 8

***Author's Note***

Little bit of a "calm before the storm" chapter, here. They really get going in the next chapter, though. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sesshomaru, Kouga, and Shippo sat together over a fine meal; Sesshomaru had called for food so that they could have a proper meal while discussing their plans. Shippo sat silently, shoveling food and listening intently. "You said you knew some places we might be able to find the captives?" Inuyasha prompted Kagome gently.

She nodded, "Yes. They moved us around frequently so that no one stumbled upon our location by mistake. The cave you found me in was only one of the many regular spots."  
Inuyasha's nose wrinkled at the memory, "Yeah, I got that. There were so many scents...I couldn't make sense of them; yours just stood out over all of them cuz it was freshest, I guess. Kouga had to hold his breath."

Kagome sighed, "There were so many...I just hope we can find them all in time. It wasn't unusual for the captives to get pushed too far and die. When that would happen, they'd dispose of them, but not by normal means. To keep the scent from drawing anyone, they'd give the body to someone who didn't mind eating sentient beings."

Sesshomaru sneered, Kouga paled, and Inuyasha's ears laid flat against his head, "Eugh! That's _disgusting_!", exclaimed Inuyasha.

"Yes. They'd make the rest of us watch. Well, let's just say spider demons aren't really very picky about their food, among others. I used to close my eyes, but I still _heard_ it. They didn't treat it like you would an animal, you see. They'd just eat the poor people raw. No one deserves to end like that. _No one_ ," she sobbed.

Sesshomaru picked up a bowl of rice and began to eat slowly, "Alright, we know now that the situation is more dire than originally assumed. What do we look for, when we search for these... _stashes_ , for lack of a better word?"

Kagome took a shaky breath and closed her eyes, calming herself. She opened them again and looked directly at Sesshomaru. For some reason, his cold gaze calmed her, "Well, we need to find places that are secluded and insulated enough that no one can hear you scream – thus the caves. They also have a fondness for abandoned castles; they don't really like to do anything out in the open, so it'll be easily defensible. Other than that, I guess just look for anywhere that reeks of multiple demons and a _lot_ of blood."

Kouga frowned, "Alright, so basically we're looking for the creepiest places imaginable, and making them even creepier. Great."

Inuyasha and his brother exchanged a silent look for a long moment before Inuyasha nodded, "Alright then. We'd better get on the road before too much longer. What are you thinking, Sesshomaru? First light?" The youkai did not speak, but nodded before finishing his meal and silently padding back to his rooms, silently thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have to be around anybody for the next few hours. "Don't worry about him, Kouga. He doesn't usually speak very much. In fact, he's spoken more this week than I think I've _ever_ seen him speak. I figure he's got toe be really worried ab out Rin. I've never seen him like this before. It's a little scary, seeing him so concerned for someone besides himself. I guess I really should get used to it, though."

Kagome stretched and sighed, "Well, I'm tired, so I guess I'll get some rest. Inuyasha? Would you like to join me?" Inuyasha cocked his head for a moment before grinning widely and springing to his feet to follow her to their room. The moment the door was closed, Kagome was in his arms, kissing him feverishly. "I've missed you," she muttered against his cheek when they broke apart.

Inuyasha smiled tenderly and pressed a kiss to her temple, "Me, too. I can't tell you how many nights I would wake up and roll over to find you not there. I never could go back to sleep after that." He pressed his face to Kagome's neck, losing himself in her scent and kissing her softly, just below the jawline.

Kagome ran her hands through Inuyasha's long, silken hair before framing his face in her hands, "I know. I could _sense_ it, somehow. I knew you were tormented, and a lot more than you ever let anyone know. I _know_ how badly you tortured yourself. I've felt it like an ache in my bones. It hurt so much that I couldn't breathe at times, and that was when they _weren't_ torturing me. You don't need to tell me how much you missed me."

Inuyasha felt his heart tremble; it was as though his very soul shook at her words, "Kagome, I..." At a loss for words, he crushed his mouth to Kagome's, kissing her as though it were the last time he ever would. They kissed each other until they were breathless. At last, they fell to the bedding, and it would be quite some time before either of them would get any sleep.

Inuyahsa woke the next morning curled around Kagome, who had nestled her face into his hair during the night. The thought occurred to him that they looked like the yin-yang symbol, the way their hair was spread out on the pillows; the thought made him chuckle quietly. The soft sound had Kagome's eyes flickering open; she looked into her beloved's eyes, feeling flushed with joy. "Good morning," Inuyasha whispered. He stood, careful not to dislodge the blankets from Kagome.

Just then, Shippo burst in there room leaping into the air, crying, "Good morning, everyone! Isn't it a beautiful...ACK!" He'd surprised Inuyasha before the hanyou had managed to put any clothes on. "Oh, ew, ew, ew. Yuck! I did _not_ need to see that!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he pulled on his pants, "Good grief, Shippo. It's not like this is the first time you've seen me naked."

"True," whined Shippo, "But now I actually _get_ what went on last night. So...Eeeeew."

Kagome giggled from under the blankets, "Poor Shippo. Why don't you wait outside so Inuyasha and I can get dressed?" Shippo nodded frantically and scrambled out the door, sliding it shut behind him.

Inuyasha chuckled, "The kid's already going through puberty; he had to know _some_ things, at least. He must have realized how we got Momoko. I mean, it's not like it's a big secret or anything."

Kagome giggled, "I know, but he's still innocent. He likes to have his little world and live in it. We should get out there; you know how your brother can get."

The hanyou nodded, "I know. Come on, let's go. I don't think we'll get any more ready than we are now." The pair gathered up their weapons and headed out to the common area to see where Sesshomaru wanted to head first.

***Author's Note***

I adore the part with Shippo at the end there. I laughed so hard when I went over it. I hope you laughed, too! Thanks for reading! Lots of love.

\- Lady Darkwind


	9. Chapter 9

***Author's Note***

Okay, so next chapter we meet our Big Bad. I'm going to have a bunch of changes to the next chapter. It's been so long since I worked on this story that I forgot how long it was before I introduced the Big Bad. Therefore, there haven't been too many changes. From here on out, though, there will be a lot more noticeable changes. Enjoy!

***End Note***

They found Sesshomaru standing beside the gaping hole where Noru had burst through and taken Rin. The wind was strong and tore as the youkai's robes as he stared towards the forest where they had found Kagome; it seemed as though there was something missing. Some bit of vitality that had vanished with the woman. It shocked Inuyasha to his core to see Sesshomaru, who was always so strong to seem so... _weak_...so lost. Suddenly Inuyasha felt a small knot of resentment begin to loosen. _I guess I always assumed he'd take Rin as his mate out of...What? Duty? Because he felt he owed her something for her service? I don't know. But I never really understood that he loved her until now. He really_ _ **is**_ _lost without her, isn't he?"_

It was Kagome who stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on Sesshomaru's arm, "She'll be alright, Sesshomaru. I promise, we _will_ find her, no matter what it takes. I'll do my very best to help in any way I can, and so will Inuyasha. Kouga, too...I hope. Either way, Inuyasha and I are here. I'm so sorry this happened because of me."

Sesshomaru turned then, staring at his sister-in-law with astonishment and great, heavy sadness in his eyes, "You didn't do this," was all he said before turning to walk silently past her. He paused for a moment as though something had occurred to him and half-turned, awkwardly laying a hand on Kagome's shoulder for a brief moment, before striding smoothly away. Fury radiated from him, causing his servants to avoid eye contact with him, and some even changed directions on the spot; they were very familiar with his temperament and what happened to those who were foolish enough to get in his way when he was already in a foul mood.

Even Kouga stayed out of the older youkai's way when he joined them, "Gee. Guess Mr. Bright and Chipper didn't sleep so well. I know _you_ two did...not that you _slept_ very much, but..."

Inuyasha's fist snapped forward, landing squarely at the base of Kouga's skull and knocking him flat, "Leave it to you to listen last night. Anyway, you should really watch your mouth. I've seen my brother in his usually surly moods, I've seen him mad, sad, even as happy as Sesshomaru ever gets. I have _never_ seen him like this. I don't know what he'll do. I mean, I've never really been able to call myself an _expert_ on Sesshomaru, but I'm the closest thing there is besides Rin, and he's got me pretty scared right now. I would actually feel a little sorry for Noru when Sesshomaru finally catches up to him, if it weren't for what he did to Kagome. My brother is going to tear him limb from limb, and I just hope I'm there to see it."

Kouga nodded, "Yeah; tall, cranky and silent seems unusually tense this morning. Poor guy. I never really understood why he of all people took up with a human, but I guess whatever his reasons, he really does care for her. I don't know about you, mutt, but I'm going to make sure I stay out of his way. I don't really feel like being turned into a fur coat, myself."

Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean. The sooner we find Rin, the better – for all our sake's. What do you think, Kagome? Kagome? Where..." He stood for a moment, glancing around himself to see where Kagome had gone, only to find her following after Sesshomaru without so much as a word to them. He rushed after her, getting as close as he could and shouting, "Hey, _Kagome_! What the hell do you think you're doin'? Why didn't you wait for us, huh? Damn it, woman! You really piss me off when you do things like that. You're my _mate_ ; we're supposed to talk before one of us runs off!"

"Inuyasha...Sit, boy." The beads of subjugation glowed and slammed him into the tatami mats again.

"Urgh. What was _that_ for!?"

" _Don't_ shout at me, Inuyasha. You two were talking, and I didn't want to interrupt, so I figured you'd follow when you were done. I was right."

The hanyou stood with his mouth working silently for a long while before he "humphed" and stormed off ahead of her. "That guy just never learns, does he?" Kouga wondered quietly.

Kagome giggled, "No, it's not that. I think it's more that he likes it when he makes me angry. It's almost like it's the way he processes that I still love him, or something. I mean, think about it; from the first time I met him, he's had those beads on, and I've used them as I saw fit, whether he really deserved it or not. If it weren't for those beads, he would never have stayed around long enough for us to fall in love, so...I guess it's sort of a reassurance for him. No matter what he says, or how angry he makes me, I'm still going to be right here for him. He also knows that sometimes, I just need to get it out of my system, so he provokes me. I know, I know; it sounds really weird, and I guess it is, but that's just how it is."

Kouga listened quietly, absorbing what she said until she had finished; he stayed quiet a moment longer, trying to form his thoughts into words, "No, I don't think it's all that weird. You know him and he knows you better than anyone else in the world. No relationship really makes perfect sense to anyone else, but then, I don't think it really should. It's whatever works for you, ya know?"

The miko glanced at Kouga with speculation in her eyes, "Yes, that's exactly how I feel about it."

Neither of them said another word while they caught up to Inuyasha and his brother. When they found the brothers, Kagome had to stifle a chuckle; sometimes, they had no idea how very similar they really were. Sesshomaru stood with his nose in the air, trying to catch a scent, while Inuyasha did the same, in a far less dignified position – on all fours with his nose to the ground. After a few minutes of this, both of their heads snapped forward to gaze in the same direction with an identical expression of concentration, their noses twitching in unison. The only difference between them was that Sesshomaru stood like a proud hunter with his back perfectly straight, shoulders back, staring with proud purpose into the distance, whereas Inuyasha...Well, Inuyasha looked more like the favored family dog that smelled a fresh bone. He sat on the ground with his knees spread wide and his hands on the floor in front of him, staring in exactly the same direction with a look of innocent, excited expectation on his face. As Kagome watched, Inuyasha raised his right foot to scratch at his ear. The contrast was so funny that she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing, her face turning red with the effort.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha chose that precise moment to turn his head to look at her. His head cocked curiously to the side, and he shot suddenly to his feet, his nose twitching madly. "What the hell's the matter with you?" He called to her, "You sick or somethin'?"

Kagome's flush deepened, "Oh, no. I'm fine. It's nothing. So, we're going that way, then?" She headed in the direction the brothers had been staring, hurrying after Sesshomaru, who'd gone on ahead while Kouga and Shippo trailed along behind her.

Inuyasha frowned, then sprinted after her, "Hey, wait a minute! Don't give me that crap! There's something goin' on, I know it!"

Kagome shook her head, "No, there's nothing."  
"Did Shippo do something?"

"No, Inuyasha...Drop it."  
"Are you mad, or something? Smell somethin' bad?"

"No, and no. Stop it."

"Stomach upset? Are you in pain?"

"No, Inuyasha..."

"Then you _are_ mad! What'd I do!?"  
"I'm _not_ mad, Inuyasha!"

"Damn it, woman. Stop being a stubborn little brat and _tell_ me!"

"Inuyasha, _sit_!" Kagome continued walking behind Sesshomaru as there was a quick whine of apprehension, a loud _boom_ , and a choking cloud of dust that were immediately followed by a cry of pain from Inuyasha.

Kouga and Shippo exchanged a dumbfounded glance, "What an idiot," observed Shippo.

"Yeah," agreed Kouga. "It's like he _enjoys_ pain or something. I wonder if he's hurt his head or something."

"I can _hear_ you," Inuyasha growled form behind them. Kouga and Shippo glanced apprehensively at each other, then began to run. Inuyasha was hard on their heels, though, and was quickly chasing them in circles around Kagome and Sesshomaru, whose fingers kept twitching like a horse trying to swat a fly with its tail. Around and around Inuyasha chased them, shouting things like, "Get back here!", "I'll show you!" and, "Just wait 'til I get my hands on you!" until at last Kagome grew sick of it.

" _SIT, BOY!_ " she bellowed, smiling slightly at the resounding boom. "Huh. I forgot how much fun that was," she thought out loud. She was pretty sure she saw Sesshomaru's lip twitch in amusement at her musings.

" _FUN_!?" Inuyasha bellowed after her, "What the hell is your definition of fun!?" Kagome stopped and turned slowly on her heel. Inuyasha jumped in fright and dove behind Kouga, hiding, "You know what? Never mind. Totally fun, yeah. Loads of fun for everybody."

"What the hell are you doing, you damn stinking mutt? You stupid, or somethin'?"

Inuyasha growled and stood upright, "Who the hell are you calling stupid, stupid?"

"Last I checked, I was talkin' to you, stupid mutt."  
"Ugly wolf."

"Rabid flea-monger."

"ENOUGH!", bellowed Kagome. "Won't you two just _shut up_!? You are seriously starting to get on my nerves. Inuyasha? Come walk with me, on my left. Kouga? On Sesshomaru's right. That way, if anybody starts irritating anybody else, we can stop it quickly."

Sesshomaru said nothing, but shot Kouga such a searing glare that the wolf-demon instantly went silent. He turned his head just enough to look at Kagome and shot her the tiniest of smiles in thanks. The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared and he turned back to the front, still scenting the air from time to time.

The odd group continued on in silence for the rest of the day, stopping only when Kagome reminded Sesshomaru that she was human and needed to eat. The others seemed to sense the youkai's mood and remained silent, not wishing to incur his wrath. At last, the sun began to set and Sesshomaru spoke for the first time that day, "It is growing too dark for humans to see. We will rest here for the night and continue on at first light."

Camp was quickly set up and a fire built so that Kagome could cook them their first hot meal of the day. It was a simple meal of white rice and stewed meat that she made from their supply of dried meats that they had brought with them. It was simple fare, but delicious and filling; no one complained, but that may well have been due to fear of Sesshomaru's infamous temper. Once they had finished, Sesshomaru stood with his arms crossed and his back to them, clearly signaling that he would stand watch while they slept. Kagome laid out a bed roll for herself and Inuyasha to share, then helped Kouga and Shippo with their bed rolls. She and Inuyasha climbed into theirs, curled into each other for warmth, and were quickly asleep. Kagome's last thought before sleep took her was _I'll probably have aching legs in the morning. It's been a year since I walked at all, let alone on a long journey like this. I'm really going to be hurting, I'll bet._

Sesshomaru smirked as though he could hear her thoughts, then made sure each of his charges was safely tucked away from the cold, so none of them would fall ill. He could feel the change of weather in the air; winter was coming, he could feel it. It would be unusually early this year, and brutal with it. It worried him. He paid special attention to Kagome, and by proxy, Inuyasha. It was her he cared for, not his brother; at least, that was what he told himself as he spent extra time checking on Kagome. It was because she'd only so recently recovered, he told himself. That was why he spent so much time through the night, checking on them, making sure no harm had come to them, listening to their heartbeats...No, it had nothing at all to do with his slumbering brother. Not at all.

***Author's Note***

Hope you enjoyed the Kouga/Inuyasha hilarity. Next chapter, Moshiro finally comes into play. Thanks for reading! Lots of love.

\- Lady Darkwind


	10. Chapter 10

***Author's Note***

Alrighty, as promised...We meet Moshiro, our Big Bad, in this chapter. Also as promised, I have made some enormous changes to his character. I scrapped a great deal of his part of this chapter and re-wrote it entirely. I'm much happier with the way he is now. Also, I've answered the question of where Rin and Ayame are, which was rather baffling and unclear in the original draft. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Moshiro sat on his throne of steel and bone, staring down at the cruelest of his followers. Up until now, Noru had been his finest instrument for the spreading of terror. That had been before the events of four days prior that had sent Noru and his lackeys crawling back to Moshiro with their tails between their legs, licking their wounds – literally. Moshiro narrowed his pale silver eyes and spoke in his softest, most dangerous voice, "You did _what_ , now?"

Noru cowered before his Master, "We lost Kagome, Inuyasha's mate."

Moshiro formed a steeple with his long, thin fingers that were sheathed in dark, metallic armor, giving the impression that his fingers ended in sharp points. He breathed deeply through his nose, tamping down his anger, "You... _lost_...her? Is she dead?"

Noru trembled and shook his head, "No, Master."

"Did she escape again?"

Noru's trembling grew more severe, "No, Master."

"Then where _is_ she?" Moshiro dropped his voice even further, until he was barely whispering.

"She...She, ah – Inuyasha took her."

Moshiro lunged to his feet and raised himself to his impressive height, the room growing darker as the candles and torches began to snuff out from his power and rage, " _Took_ her!? How did that happen?"  
Noru hesitated, "I...I led Inuyasha, Kouga, and Sesshomaru to the caves where we were holding her."

The shadow-demon raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his long, thin nose, "Why would you do something so foolish?"

The dog-demon cleared his throat, "Well, we attacked Sesshomaru's castle, just like you ordered. Only...He got there first. They knew, somehow, that we were going to attack while Sesshomaru was away. They got there _maybe_ thirty minutes before us."

"And my army?"

Noru's face went blank, "Ah. Yes. That. Well, it seems that Kouga, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru together managed to...well...destroy it. At least, the portion you sent with me."

"And you didn't think to wait until they left again? You just...leaped in and then ran with Sesshomaru and his little band of miscreants chasing after you? What possessed you? Your failure has been absolute."

Noru perked up slightly, terror clear in his eyes. "Well, Master...There _is_ good news..." Moshiro paused and raised an eyebrow at the dog demon. "Well, we managed to take Rin, Sesshomaru's mate." Moshiro's eyes lit with greed, "Yes, and we still have Ayame. I can have them brought here, if it pleases you, Master."  
Moshiro shot Noru a vicious look and said softly, "An inspired idea." Noru breathed a quiet sigh of relief and smiled happily. "Rin may well be a decent substitute for Kagome. We shall see. Either way...You still lost me my favorite toy because of your stupidity. I think some... _punishment_...may be in order."

Noru's smiled faded as he paled, "No, Master...Please! I will not fail you again. Allow me one more chance!"

Moshiro allowed an evil, bone-chilling smile to creep across his face, "Oh, you will get another chance. But first..." Moshiro held up his right hand and Noru began to back away, "Someone hold this dog still for me...Wouldn't want to make a mistake and damage my pet permanently, would we?" Two demons took hold of Noru, forcing him to his knees before their Master, where he began to struggle with all the strength he could muster. Moshiro's right hand seemed to draw the darkness to it, forming what looked like a sword around his arm, with his physical arm still visible at the center. The shadow-demon stalked slowly towards the immobilized dog demon, his smile growing wider with each step. At last, he brought his right arm near to Noru's face, pressing the shadow-tip gently against Noru's cheek, then increasing pressure until he had broken the skin. Slowly, and keeping the pressure steady, he brought his arm across Noru's face, from right cheekbone to left temple, a long, deep gash being left behind while Noru shouted and squirmed in pain. "Now, you should have stayed still, Noru. It would be much straighter. The fun isn't finished yet, my dear pet...Watch." A high-pitched giggle came from between Moshiro's lips as Noru's eyes went wide with sheer panic as the shadow around Moshiro's arm slowly began to sink into the wound on Noru's face. The dog demon's eyes went blank with pain, straining to go wider and bursting blood vessels with the effort as thin black lines began to spread through his skin, following the lines of his veins. Noru's body bowed back in pain, and the demons holding him jumped back in surprise as Noru began to twitch. His eyes slid shut and he went eerily still. The guards glanced nervously at each other, but Moshiro simply stood still, as though he were watching some sort of mildly amusing child's play. Suddenly, Noru's eyes flew open, and the guards gasped at what they saw; his eyes had gone completely black. The dog demon arched again and a high, keening scream pierced the air and rent the calm as he twitched and thrashed on the floor. "Ah. I believe he is beginning to understand the gravity of his actions. Take him away." The guards glanced nervously at their Master, then rushed forward to drag Noru out of the hall, not wishing to face the same fate.

The shadow-demon walked so smoothly to the other end of the hall that it seemed he did not touch the ground, and opened the door to his personal quarters. _Ah, the smell of fear,_ he thought. _Perfectly appetizing._ He had found a way to siphon the fear out of humans and demons alike and synthesize it into a potion that was... _utterly delectable_ , especially when you laced it with the blood of the victim. Moshiro made sure to keep a supply of his victims' blood on hand, for that very purpose. Of course, the fear could be absorbed directly through the blood, but it was... _diminished_ , some how. It just didn't pack quiet the same punch as the distilled version that he so preferred. Today's offering seemed to have been the last of the girl who'd given it, which gave a particular sort of flavor to it. The death of the victim while at the height of fear gave the potion an intoxicating aspect, and was his particular favorite, save Kagome's offerings. Moshiro snarled at the thought, _Noru lost me my favorite snack. I should not have been so lenient with him, but...Rin...The girl Sesshomaru has protected from the gates of Hell themselves. What might her fear taste like when she realizes that there is no rescue coming for her?_ The grin spread across his face again, _I can hardly wait._ Out loud, he spoke quietly to his remaining guards, "Bring me Ayame and Rin. Let us see what my new toys can offer me..."

The guards trembled at the glee in their master's voice and hurried to comply. In short order, they returned dragging the unconscious forms of the two women behind them. They were chained to the wall and left unceremoniously in a heap against the wall. Moshiro smiled greedily and waited for them to wake. At last, Rin began to stir and caught sight of Ayame at once. She crawled slowly over to the wolf-demon and shook her gently awake, "Get up, Ayame! We need to figure out where we are."

Rin was just helping the other woman to sit up when Moshiro chuckled evilly from the shadows, "Well, my pet...You could always ask me nicely, and I may just tell you. Go ahead; ask. And make it nice, now.", he crooned with amusement in his voice.

Rin bit her lip and cocked her head for a moment before she made up her mind, "Very well. I was hoping you might tell us where we are...Please?" She asked respectfully.

Moshiro laughed his high, cold laugh and clapped his hands gleefully, "Oh, what a treat this is! I do love the bravery in your voice. But believe me, my dear...It will be quite worthless here. You are in my castle, Rin and Ayame. My name is Moshiro, and I shall be your host."

Rin stiffened and laid a warning hand on Ayame's leg, "Host? Is it normal for a host to bind his guests?"  
Moshiro stepped from the shadows, a nauseating grin on his face, "It is if _I_ am your host." Just then, a door at the end of the room opened and a pair of burly lizard-demons entered, pushing a cart full of wicked-looking instruments before them. Rin and Ayame paled when they saw the bloodstains on the cart.

Rin sat up straighter, a courageous challenge clear in her eyes, "If you lay so much as a finger on me, my mate will tear you to pieces."

Moshiro laughed heartily at her threat, "You mean Sesshomaru? My dear pet, he has been grievously wounded; it will be quite some time before he manages to track you down, and by then...Well, by then you may well be dead already. Now...Try not to squirm too much, my dear. I'd hate to see your lovely flesh marred more than necessary." Moshiro's grin grew wider as he stalked slowly to the cart and began to lovingly choose his first tool, while Ayame shrunk against Rin and Rin paled further.

As the first rays of light painted the morning sky, Sesshomaru roused the others. He said nothing, but stood apart from them as they broke camp. Kagome insisted that they have a good meal before they left and made it perfectly clear that it was _not_ negotiable. Even Sesshomaru grudgingly sat with them, though he continued his stony silence, only half-listening to the conversation. _It's weird_ , thought Inuyasha, _less than a week ago, he was more chatty than I've ever seen him, and now we can't even get a "hello" out of him. He must be thinking about Rin. Damn. Is that what_ _ **I**_ _was like without Kagome? Huh. No wonder everyone was so worried._

"Breakfast is ready," called Kagome, breaking into her mate's reverie. She forced a bowl into Sesshomaru's hands before she began handing out portions to the others. It was a simple meal of rice, steamed mushrooms that Shippo and Kouga had sniffed out, and an extremely sparing portion of the dried meats they had brought with them. By the time everyone had finished, even Sesshomaru was feeling better – not that he would have admitted it.

Once the meal had been cleared away, Kagome sat silently with her eyes closed, thinking. The others grouped around her, sitting or standing as was their wont, waiting for her to speak. At last, her eyes slid open, "Okay; I think if we head East, there's a location that's really close to where we are now. I think you'll know it when you smell it. Even _I_ could catch the stench."

Inuyasha spared his brother a quick glance and nodded, "Okay. We'll look there first. Come on, I want to move as fast as possible." Inuyasha knelt in front of Kagome so she could get on his back. "Huh. It's been a long time since I carried you like this," he observed as she settled into place.

Kagome chuckled, "Yeah, I think the last time we traveled like this was when we defeated Naraku. We haven't really _needed_ to since then. I forgot how nice it was."

Inuyasha snorted, "Why? Because I do all the work?"  
Kagome rolled her eyes, "No, Inuyasha. It's nice because it's so comfortable and warm. I feel so close to you when we travel like this. Then, of course, there's how safe it makes me feel."

Inuyasha chuckled, "I never knew that. If I had, we would never have stopped. I'd have found an excuse to carry you around on my back all the time."

Kagome smiled, "I know you would have. I guess I just forgot how much this meant to me over the years since Naraku. I don't ever want to forget again."

Inuyasha nodded, "That makes two of us."

Just then, Kagome sensed something, and her head snapped up, causing Inuyasha to skid to a halt. The others followed suit, but Kagome ignored them, still staring into the distance, "Do you sense that?", she asked into the silence, "It's familiar. Definitely familiar. It's not strong enough to be him, I'm sure of it. His minions, though..."

Inuyasha scented the air, wrinkling his nose, "Yup. You're right. It's definitely something nearby."

"Brilliant. Couldn't have said it better myself," chuckled a man from behind them, "Our Master said you'd be looking for the others. Moshiro is ahead of you, yet again! Okay, so; quick and agonizing, or slow enough to make you _feel_ like you have a chance, then a slow, torturous death. Choice is yours, but either way...You're surrounded, and there is nowhere you can hide."

***Author's Note***

Phew. Good chapter. ^_^ Hope y'all like the re-write a whole lot better than the original. Let me know what you think in the reviews, please. For those of you who've never read this story before, just let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, as always my dears. Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	11. Chapter 11

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon, my dears! I know I usually do two chapters per day, but I've been crazy busy today. I'll _try_ to get another one done, but I don't think I'll be able. So, in this chapter, we're going to see a bit of a quick, interesting moment between Kagome and Sesshomaru as well as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. I took to heart what some of my readers said about Sesshomaru being too AU in the first attempt of this story, so I hope I've fixed that rather egregious flaw. If there's anything further that needs to be fixed, please let me know. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Kagome slid carefully off of Inuyasha's back, preparing her bow as she did, "I remember these guys. Low-level demons, but very skilled. They helped Noru bring us in when we all escaped. They're not terribly powerful, but they're quick."

The man who'd spoken wheezed out a laugh, "That's right. You might as well give in now. The Master's awful put out with you, Inuyasha. He's not real happy with Kagome, either." The demon stared at Kagome with greed in his eyes, "He says you're to come back, so he can play with you some more." The man licked his lips obscenely, drawing a growl from deep within Inuyasha's throat.

By now, they had, indeed, been surrounded and the demon's lackeys chuckled at Inuyahsa's growl. Sesshomaru remained silent, merely narrowing his eyes. Shippo and Kouga both spread their stances wide, alert and ready for the coming attack. Kagome and Inuyasha drew closer together as Inuyasha drew the Tetsuaiga and Kagome nocked an arrow, "You know who we are," she answered, "Do you _really_ want to take us on?"

The man laughed again, "You're missing the demon hunter and the monk...Were they too scared to come? I don't blame them. My Master's wrath will cover all the lands in darkness and choke the life out of those you love, especially the brats...What were their names? Ah; Momoko and Kagome...My Master knows where they are. It's a simple thing for him to retrieve them."

Inuaysha and Sesshomaru roared with rage. The hanyou leaped forward with Tetsuaiga at the ready while Sesshomaru's eyes went red and his face elongated as his true form emerged. Kagome drew on her spiritual powers and shot her Sacred Arrows rapidly into the demons that surrounded them. Kouga did what he was best at, sprinting here and there using his ever-present Garaishi, slashing at whomever was in front of him while Shippo slunk around, blasting his Fox Fire here and there and using his magic to their best advantage.

Sesshomaru, now full transformed, roared with fury and sprung into action and scattering the demons in his anger. Where his jaws snapped and his claws raked, another demon fell, never to rise again. Three demons managed to get past the furious youkai and his hanyou brother, charging straight for Kagome. She took two down with her arrows and aimed for the third, but he reached her first. She saw the blow coming and angled her arm so that the sword merely dealt a glancing blow, rather than severing her arm halfway down her forearm. Inuyasha heard her cry out in pain and smelled her blood on the air – it seemed to snap what little self-control he had managed to retain over the last year. He spun, energy rolling off of him in waves as his eyes went red and the air around him began to stir. The remaining demons that were not busy with Sesshomaru converged on him, glancing warily at each other as Inuaysha's demon form took hold. With incredible speed, Inuyasha sprung at his enemies, the Tetsuaiga laying forgotten behind him. He used his claws to cut them to bits, leaving behind only limbs and bleeding torsos.

Sesshomaru killed the last of the demons and returned to his human form, but the danger was not over. Inuyasha stood with his chest and shoulders heaving, a vicious snarl tearing from his lips as his blind eyes darted here and there, not really _seeing_ anything. None approached him as he sniffed at the air, seeming to search for something. Kouga took a firm hold of Kagome to keep her still; she struggled against him, but it was no use. Suddenly, Inuyasha grew still and his head snapped forward in Kagome's direction. He lunged faster than the eye could see, tackling Kouga to the ground, snapping his jaws mere inches from the wolf's face. Kouga shouted in fear and pain as Inuyasha's claws raked at him. "Inuyasha, _no_!" cried Kagome as she ran straight for him. She had seen this behavior from him before and was ready for his reaction. He left Kouga lying on the ground, forgotten, and lunged for Kagome instead. She ducked and came back up with a lunge of her own that knocked them both to the ground. She wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck and curled herself into his chest, "It's okay. It's okay. I'm fine, it's just a scratch, I promise." She continued to soothe him with gentle words and reassurances until the red in his eyes began to fade and his features returned to normal.

"Kagome?" he whispered, sounding confused.

"It's okay now. I've got you."

"Kagome...What happened? I remember hearing you scream and then I smelled your blood, and then... _nothing_. What happened? I smell blood...more than before. Is that _Kouga_?! Oh, crap. What did I _do_?" The hanyou began to panic as he took in the looks of fear and wariness on his companions' faces.

"It's alright, Inuyasha. You lost control for a moment, that's all. You attacked Kouga, but I stopped you before you did too much damage."

"Speak for yourself," the wolf-demon complained.

Kagome shot him a bone-chilling glare, and he fell silent again, "Ignore him, Inuyasha. He's just mad. You tore him up a little, but it's not that bad. Honestly. He'll probably be healed again by nightfall. It wasn't that bad, I promise."

Inuyasha, however, was not convinced, "I _lost control_!? I lost it, and you're all just acting like nothing happened? Just another day living with a half-demon, huh? Keh! Well, to hell with that." Inuyasha stood rapidly, dumping Kagome on the ground, "I knew this would happen eventually. You can't trust me, Kagome. You're just a human, and way too fragile to be around me. What you didn't bother to mention is that I turned on you, too! I can smell your blood on my hands, Kagome!"

The hanyou's breath caught in his chest; he turned and sprinted away, leaving Kagome breathless with shock and hurt. She tried to stand and follow after him, but Sesshomaru was beside her in a flash, laying a cautioning hand on her shoulder, "Leave him.", he said harshly, "He'll come back on his own."

Despite his words, Inuyasha did not return. After an hour had passed with no sign of him, Kagome rose to speak with Sesshomaru. "He's not back yet."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes coldly at her, "I can see that."

Kagome took a deep breath and tried again, "You have to go after him."  
"And why would I want to do that?"

Kagome leaned close and grabbed at the front of his yukatta, her temper dangerously close to snapping, "Because if you don't, we'll be down one of our strongest members when we find Rin. I know you're very powerful, but Moshiro has resources that we can't begin to understand! Without Inuyasha's strength to combine with your own, we'll lose. And if we lose, you may never see her again."

Sesshomaru stiffened at her words and gripped her hands roughly as he removed them from his yukatta, "Fine. I'll get the half-breed." Without another word, he spun and sprinted off in the direction his half brother had taken.

Inuyasha sprinted through the wilderness, his mind reeling with emotion. _What have I done? I hurt her. I hurt Kagome! I could care less about that damn wolf, but K_ _ **agome**_ _!? How could I do that? Even when I'm transformed, I normally protect her! I'm the monster everyone said I was when she and I first met. I'm no different now than I was then. I'm fine while you're on my side, but get in my way – even for an instant – and I'll tear your throat out as soon as look at you. I can't stand this._ Inuyasha increased his speed, practically flying over the ground. At last, he came across a stream surrounded by a small wooded glade. He stopped, staring at his reflection with revulsion. It all made so little sense to him. _I was regaining control over myself. How did this happen? I don't understand. Am I really such a beast that the slightest scent of blood will send me over the edge?_ His reflection glared back at him as an angry flush crept up his neck. _I can't put her in danger like that again; I can't even be around_ _ **Momoko**_ _like this! I'll have to run. I'll have to leave them all. They're better off without me._ To his astonishment, the slow-moving stream rippled as though something had dropped into it. He raised his clawed hand to his face, surprised to find tears there. _I don't care how much it hurts. You have to do it. You can't keep putting them in danger. It's for the best. You've known it for a long time, now. Every time you turn, it becomes easier. Eventually, it'll become_ _ **too**_ _easy, and you won't be able to stop. You'll be stuck in that form, and no one will be able to calm you again._ His nose twitched at a familiar scent, "I know you're there. Might as well come out, but you're not taking me back. I'm leaving."

"Fine." Sesshomaru said shortly, "I won't miss your half-human stench."

Inuyasha glared at his brother, "Oh, of _course_ you'd treat this like it doesn't matter! You are such a _bastard_!"

Sesshomaru nodded, "Yes. Yes, I am. I'm cold, and I'm unfeeling. But _I_ am full demon. You're only half. Controlling that other half isn't easy, and it was never going to be. But if you want to run off and abandon your family like some useless coward, go right ahead. You'll just show how much like our father you really are."

Inuyasha's jaw went slack with shock, "You're lecturing _me_!? You think I'm the coward? You shut every emotion out because you're _scared_ of it! You don't get it, so you don't _feel_ it. I doubt you ever loved Rin."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously and his left hand shot out, cracking his brother hard across the face and sending him sprawling, "I would not mention my wife if I were you." he said in a dangerous whisper.

Inuyasha stared up at his brother, defeated, "I don't know what to do. I _hurt_ her. Don't tell me I didn't; I could smell it."

Sesshomaru sighed, "You are being ridiculous. Yes, you hurt her, but you've done worse damage than this before without raising a hand to her, and you know it. It's just a small scratch on her cheek. It'll be healed by the time you get back." He added stiffly. He shrugged and continued, "So you should stop being a petulant child and come back."

Inuyasha seemed to deflate, "She's okay?" he whispered. Sesshomaru nodded. "Good. Is she disgusted with me?" The youkai glared down at his brother with an expression of disgust and reproach. "She's not angry? Not even a little? Huh. Go figure. She's _insane_."

Sesshomaru shifted, ever so slightly, "Yes, she is. She charged right for you, and the moment she touched you, you began to calm down." Grudgingly, he added, "I've never seen anything like it."

Inuyasha stood and stared at his reflection again. It smirked at him, "I _am_ acting like a child, aren't I?" Sesshomaru said nothing, only shot him a bland stare, "Alright. I'll come back, but I want you to stop me if I look like I'm going to hurt someone who's not an enemy, okay?"

Sesshomaru allowed a wide, gleeful grin to spread across his handsome features, "Gladly."

Inuyasha chuckled and turned back in the direction he'd left the others, but paused for a moment as he glanced back at his brother, "Why did you come after me?"

Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably, "My reasons are my own."

Inuyasha's ears twitched and he cocked his head to the side, "Kagome asked you to come, didn't she?"

Sesshomaru's hands twitched slightly in irritation and he sprung away into the darkness, leaving his brother to catch him up. Inuyasha grinned and followed. By the time they made it back, it was growing dark, and Kagome had set up a decently comfortable camp. The moment she sensed him, Kagome sprang up and dashed straight into Inuyasha's arms, "Oh, I'm so glad you're back! For a little while, I thought you weren't coming back at all. I'm so sorry I wasn't fast enough," she sobbed into his hair.

Inuyasha pulled back and stared at her, nonplussed, " _You're_ sorry? I'm the one who attacked you, and _you're_ sorry?" The hanyou chuckled, "You really are somethin' else, woman. I'm sorry I frightened you. I guess I needed to run it out of my system. I was being kinda childish, and it nearly made me do something I would have regretted for the rest of my life, but Sesshomaru stopped me."

Kagome glanced at the youkai in surprise, "Is that true, Sesshomaru?" the youkai rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Thank you." Sesshomaru shrugged again and walked away, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Kagome smiled as she watched his retreating back, then dragged Inuyasha to the ground so she could curl up in his lap, her head pillowed comfortably on his shoulder.

A long distance away, Moshiro sat with his eyes close on his steel-and-bone seat of authority. His pale silver eyes opened slowly; they appeared glazed over, as though he were drunk. "What was _that_?" he breathed, "It was so far away, and yet...Through my _pets_...I felt...Something powerful. I've never tasted fear like that before."

Noru stood before his Master, confusion in his eyes, "Master? What's wrong?"  
Moshiro seemed to remember the dog demon's presence, "Nothing's _wrong_ , you moron. I believe I have found something I have been searching for. The perfect fear, Noru. The most powerful, most delicious fear I have ever tasted. It was only a..." he chuckled darkly, "a _shadow_ of what it could be."

Noru's eyes lit with greed, "Whose fear was it, Master?"  
An evil smile spread across Moshiro's face, baring his row of pointed teeth, "Inuyasha's" he nearly moaned. "Oh, I've never practiced my art on a anyone so powerful before. Mmmm. Perhaps...Perhaps I haven't been looking in the right place. I have discovered something of great power, Noru: Inuyasha's greatest fear. I must have this...delectable treat. I believe you will have that chance you were begging for before my shadows had their way with you, Noru." The dog demon twitched, his yellow-green eyes going wide at the memory of agonizing pain and complete darkness, "You will bring Inuyasha _and_ his mate to me. I am going to play a new game with them...And it is going to be... _delicious._ I haven't had anything new in a very, very long time." Noru's face fell somewhat, causing a knowing glint to come into Moshiro's eye, followed by a haughty smirk. The shadow-demon leaned back in his throne, hanging his legs languidly over the side, "Don't worry, my pet. You'll get your shot at Inuyasha when I'm through with him."

Noru grinned, his eyes glinting with greed and a sick, greedy, hunger, "Of course, Master. I will not fail you again."

Moshiro nodded, "I know you won't. If you _do_...You'll wind up like my favorite new decorations." Moshiro gestured lazily at the ceiling where Rina and Ayame hung in cages, both covered in dirt and blood that trickled slowly from still-healing wounds. Their faces were matching masks of pain and fear as they stared down at the shadow-demon.

Noru, however, had his mind on other things, "And when we are through with them, my Master, I will feast on their flesh." He bowed and made his way quickly out of the hall.

Moshiro's eyes closed slowly as he languished in the new sensations that Inuyasha's fear had aroused in him, "Oh," he breathed, "Oh, Inuyasha. I never knew you had such _depth_ to you." He felt his hunger rising and called softly to his guards, "I believe I will be requiring more sustenance. Lower my new toys so that I can work on them some more." His men nodded and bowed as they hurried off to carry out their Master's commands. "Oh, Inuyasha," he whispered as he approached the cages, "We are going to have so much _fun_ together." In the still, silent hall, Moshiro's high, piercing laugh rolled off the walls and vaulted ceiling, raising the hair on the back of many a man's neck, and sending Rin and Ayame skittering to the back of their cages in an attempt to get away from him.

***Author's Note***

Phew, so kind of a rough spot Ayame and Rin have found themselves in, isn't it? I know that many of my readers thought that Moshiro was just a bit too much in the first go 'round, so I hope I've toned him down successfully. I didn't want to tone him down _too_ much so that y'all will still be happy to see what happens to him in the end, but I also don't want to make anyone too uncomfortable. I really hope you're enjoying this so far. ^_^ Thanks for reading; lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	12. Chapter 12

***Author's Note***

We've got a bit of butt-kicking action in this chapter! There are only a few more chapters that need re-writing then I'll get back to new stuff! I'm so excited - I totally can't wait for y'all to see what I've got planned! Enjoy!

***end Note***

They had decided to move on in the middle of the night, rather than wait for morning. As a result, Inuyasha carried a slumbering Kagome on his back, while Kouga carried Shippo. Something about the previous day's events still bothered Inuyasha. "How did they find us?" He wondered quietly, drawing the gazes of Kouga and Sesshomaru. "I mean, I didn't sense any of them until they were already on us. That's not normal, not even close."

Kouga grunted, "Yeah. You're not exactly brilliant, but you've got a hell of a nose. I've never known you to be taken by surprise by an attack."

"I don't like this. Sesshomaru; didn't you say Moshiro is a 'Shadow-Demon'?" Inuyasha queried.

"I did," was Sesshomaru's answer, drawing an eye roll from his brother.

"Okay. Well, what the _hell_ does that mean?"

The youkai shrugged, "I'm not really sure. I've never had the displeasure of meeting him."

Kouga shuddered, "I've heard rumors, and if _I've_ heard 'em, you must have."

Sesshomaru sighed, growing impatient, "I have, but they are only rumors, and outlandish at best."

The wolf-demon glowered, "Fine. I'll tell him, then. The rumors are that he's more than half-shadow, himself. I've heard that he can actually _control_ the shadows and make them do whatever he wants. I've heard that he can just _disappear_ into the darkness. He'll be there one second and gone the next – no trace of scent, _nothing_."

Inuyasha felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, "That's just _wrong_. Sesshomaru; you don't believe the stories?" The youkai said nothing but gave his brother a look that clearly said he thought the hanyou was being an idiot. Inuyasha nodded and fell silent, allowing himself to be lulled into a sort of trance, listening to the rhythmic pounding of their feet on the packed-dirt road.

With Shippo and Kagome sleeping peacefully, they had been able to make excellent time, as they did not have to slow their pace to match Shippo's. Over the last six years, he had grown a great deal taller and was now able to run alongside them, rather than being carried all the time; but his speed still needed some improvement. The poor fox had tried his best to keep up with them, but had begun to slow. Kouga had taken pity on the young kitsune and offered to carry him. Shippo had been asleep in moments, curled into a ball in Kouga's arms. He was at that awkward age where he was too old to be treated like a child, but still too young to be counted as an adult; it made things like being carried rather awkward for him.

"Well, whether or not the rumors are true," Inuyahsa observed as he came out of his "trance", "I don't think we can afford to underestimate Moshiro. We should assume that he is at _least_ as powerful as Naraku, if not more so."

"Agreed, mutt. Until we know for sure, we'll just have to be careful," Kouga agreed.

Just then, Kagome stirred on Inuyasha's back, "Inuyasha?" she asked blearily, "Where are we?"

Inuaysha smiled to himself, "Well, we've been on the trail of that awful scent we caught when those guys jumped us yesterday, and it's getting stronger."

"You kept going even though I fell asleep!? You should have stopped to rest, Inuyasha. You won't do anyone any good if you're too worn out to..."

"Keh," he interrupted, "I'm fine, Kagome. You don't have to worry. Really, I'm fine. I'm not tired at all. I promise." He glanced over his shoulder to smile brilliantly at her, "You have nothing to worry about."

Kagome seemed unconvinced, "O...kay. If you really think you're alright. How much further, do you think?"

"Well, given how strong the scent is, I'd say we'll reach it in less than thirty minutes; maybe fifteen? Either way, it won't be long now."

Kagome nodded, "Okay, well you'd better wake Shippo, Kouga. He'd hate to miss this."

Kouga nodded and did as she asked, but kept the young kitsune in his arms so they would not have to slow. "Wouldn't want you too tired to fight, would we?" he asked the fox logically.

"I guess not," mused Shippo, "Alright. You can carry me, but only because I don't want to get worn out."

Sure enough, within a few minutes they began to see the outline of a once-great castle with the remains of a village gathered around it. The village had been completely abandoned at least half a decade before, but there were signs recent habitation. There were foot-and-claw marks in the ground, and signs that _someone_ had been dragged towards the castle. _Whoever it was, they sure put up a hell of a fight_ , Inuyasha thought to himself. There were splatters of old, dried blood on the ground here and there, _Looks like they didn't really care whether or not they got hurt._

"Oh, god," Kagome said from inside one of the huts, "Inuyasha, come in here."

The hanyou hurried to her, and blanched at what he saw. Inside hung the corpse of a young man who had clearly been tortured to death. The poor soul had been hung by his wrists in a fashion that told Inuyasha he'd most likely been dead before being hung here. There were a number of other corpses in the same condition. In the center of the room, there was a brazier that belched massive amounts of smoke. Inuyasha went green when he realized where they were, "Oh, crap. This is a smokehouse. They're preserving the... _meat_." He swallowed hard around the bile that had risen in his throat.

Kagome gasped and looked back at the young man, "We have to do something. We can't just leave these people here like this!"

Inuyasha took her by the shoulders gently, "We will, but not yet. If we remove the bodies, they'll know we're here. We'll do what we came for first, then we'll bury these people. Okay?"

Kagome sniffled as tears welled in her eyes, "Okay. I...I remember him," she whispered, "He was human, like me. His mate...She's a powerful shape-shifter. They never hurt anyone; they just wanted to live their lives among humans in peace. He was so sure she'd come for him..." she choked out a sob and rushed from the small hut into the fresh air, "I am personally going to kill them for this. He was so kind; he didn't deserve this."

Inuyasha cradled her head on his shoulder as she wept, "I know. Don't worry, they'll pay for what they've done. I promise. They're not getting away with this." His voice seethed with anger and his hands shook, "Just wait 'til I get my hands on 'em."

Kouga grunted, "You won't have to wait long, mutt, but if we don't get moving, they'll find us, and we'll lose the element of surprise. We won't stand a chance if that happens. I can hear at _least_ twenty guys in there; probably closer to forty, though."

Kagome nodded as she wiped her face on a sleeve, "Okay. Let's go." Together, they made their way stealthily towards the castle, holding their noses as they passed a half-dozen more "smokehouses". Finally, they crept close enough to hear the guards on patrol outside the run-down castle. Silently, Kagome loosed an arrow, striking one demon between the eyes; he fell without a sound. Inuaysha did much the same, sneaking up behind another guard, slitting his throat and lowering him softly to the ground so that he made no noise to alert the demons inside.

At last, they had dealt with all of the guards and made their way inside. They found no one inside the main entry and instantly went on alert. _It's almost like they were waiting for us_ , thought Inuyasha. _This is too easy._ Just then, flame rushed along the roof of the castle, lighting the room. There came a chilling laugh, "Did you really think my Master didn't realize you'd be coming here?", came Noru's taunting voice, "We've been waiting for you. I hope you can get through all of us in time to save the people you came here to save _before_ they burn to death. I'd hate to have that on _my_ conscience.", Noru smiled nastily as he taunted them.

Inuyasha and Kagome glared at him, "Well, it's your funeral," snarled Inuyasha as he drew Tetsuaiga and charged at the demons, hacking off limbs as he went. Kagome shot arrow after arrow and Sesshomaru dashed in with Bakusaiga, Kouga right behind him with the Goraishi while Shippo stayed back and used his fox magic where it would be most useful. Noru stood laughing as his demons converged on the small group, "You won't be leaving here alive. I hope you realize that. I'm going to have quite the feast tonight," he chuckled darkly. His smile slowly began to fade as his demons fell one by one, Inuyasha and the others growing closer with every step. "Wait.." Inuyasha shot him a vicious, toothy grin and Noru took half a step back, "This...This isn't possible. You can't..."

The final demon fell beneath the Tetsuaiga; Inuyasha pointed the enormous blade at Noru, "Who's next?", he said darkly. Noru paled and darted away.

Kagome sprinted past Inuyasha, "We don't have time for this! There are people back there!"

Inuyasha sprang after her, wrapping her in his Fire Rat Robe just as they leaped through a line of flame separating them from the room holding the captives. Distantly, they heard screaming and burst through a door to find a half-dozen people, human and demon alike, secured to the walls with thick, heavy chains that they could not break in their weakened conditions. "Sesshomaru!" Kagome cried, "We need you!"

The youkai walked calmly into the room, staring around coldly, _She's not here. I really shouldn't be surprised; this was far too easy_ , he thought to himself.

"Sesshomaru, please help us! We need to get these people out of here before they die!"

Sesshoamru stared at her with an oddly hollow expression, "Why should I? They are nothing to me. It is Rin that I am here for, not these people."

Kagome coughed as a pillar of smoke was blown into her face, "We can't do this without you! Please!" Her plea ended on a scream as a wall of flame leaped up before her, burning her arms as she shielded her face.

On a snarl, the youkai lunged forward and began unceremoniously tossing people over his shoulder before rushing them outside where he dumped them roughly on the ground, "I'm only helping because I promised your daughter I'd bring you both home, and if I don't help you'll just get yourselves killed."

"Uh, we might want to hurry up; I don't know how long this roof will hold," called Inuyasha. As though his words were prophetic, a section of the roof suddenly collapsed, sending flame and embers everywhere. The captives screamed as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru shielded them.

"We've got to go. _Now_ ," cried Kagome, as more ceiling fell in. Kouga dashed in, grabbing a captive under each arm while Inuyasha and Sesshomaru did the same. Just then, there was a backdraft; a massive gust of wind blew through the castle, fanning the flames into a massive fireball. Kagome screamed and cowered towards Inuyasha, feeling the heat blister her skin, being sure to shield her already-singed arms.

The flames suddenly turned blue and they heard Shippo cry out, "Go! Now! I can't hold the fire back for long!" Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Kouga dashed past the flame with Kagome hard on their heels and their precious cargo shoved unceremoniously under their arms. Just in time, they made it out of the castle as the roof fell in entirely.

"Phew," breathed Inuyasha as he set his cargo down gently, "That was close."

Kagome chuckled, "Yeah, just a little _too_ close." She turned to the newly-freed captives, "We'll see you to the next village, where they can get you the help you'll need, okay?" The captives quickly and readily agreed, but before they would leave, Inuyasha and the others raided the village huts for more "smokehouses," tearing down the bodies and burying them individually at the edge of the village. Altogether, they had nearly thirty lost souls to bury, and as a priestess, it fell to Kagome to say a few words. "I, uh...I didn't know most of these poor people, but I did know one of them. I never knew his name, but he was unfailingly kind to me. His kindness carried me through many difficult times, and I thank him for it now. I failed him; I did not succeed in our escape attempt, and he paid the ultimate price for my failure. I swear on his grave that I will not fail again. I _will_ free the others. Rest well, my friend." Absently, she rubbed at her burned forearms, which were already well on their way to healing.

With that, they concluded the ceremony and made their way to the next village. They met with the leader of the village and asked that they look after the people they had saved until they were well enough to find their way back to their mates. The elder agreed and said that he would send out riders with the news that six of the stolen mates had been rescued. Inuyasha smiled, "That should bring their mates looking. I couldn't have hoped for any better, Elder. Thank you." The man bowed deeply as they took their leave, continuing on their journey.

As they left the village, Inuyasha and Kagome were walking far behind the others so that they could have some semblance of privacy. Kagome had her arm looped through Inuyasha's with her head on his shoulder, walking slowly together. Kouga and the others did their very best to give the mated pair space, but Kouga kept glancing back now and then. He couldn't figure out why, but he felt as though something were following them. He glanced back for what must have been the hundredth time and stopped in his tracks, "Where are Inuyasha and Kagome!?" he shouted in surprise, "They were here a moment ago!"

Sesshomaru paused, tilting his head to the side and scenting at the air, "I can't catch their scent." His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the wolf-demon, "The only scent I can find is Noru's; theirs have completely vanished."

***Author's Note***

So, wee bit of a cliffhanger there...Sorry about that. Sort of. Thanks for reading. Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	13. Chapter 13

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon, dear readers! Alright, so this chapter had some of the most egregious errors, as far as Sesshomaru's character is concerned. I hope that I've altered it to your satisfaction. Also, I altered the scene at the end there to make it a bit more T-rated, rather than M. I'm doing my very level best to keep this at a T rating. I have no desire whatsoever to take this in _that_ kind of direction. Well, I hope y'all enjoy!

***End Note***

Kouga and Shippo had stubbornly refused to leave the spot where Inuyasha and Kagome had vanished. Instead, they had spent a few hours irritating Sesshomaru with their well-intended but fruitless investigation. In the end, the two of them collapsed to the ground in a hopeless heap. Sesshoamru stood a distance away, watching them with complete disinterest in his eyes and a slight sneer curling his lip. At last, he called softly to them, "Are you two quite finished?"  
Kouga sprung to his feet, glaring at the dog-demon, "You could at least show some kind of emotion, you know! He _is_ your brother, after all! _Damn_ it, you piss me off!Inuyasha may only be half demon, and a mutt besides, but at least he actually gives a damn about people! Would it kill you to just try, for once in your life, to help!?"  
Sesshomaru listened calmly to Kouga's explosive rant. As the wolf-demon's voice faded into silence, Sesshomaru strode quietly towards him with a smile on his face and a threat in his eyes, "Listen to me, you filthy wolf," he said in pleasant tones, "I care little for _any_ of you. There are exactly three people I care about in this world: Rin, Momoko, and my daughter, Kagome. Rin is the _only_ reason I am here now, and the only reason I have for not tearing you limb-from-limb. Finally, if you would _think_ and use your senses, you would find traces of Inuyasha and Kagome's scents mixed in with Noru's, not to mention whatever stench it is that seems to follow him around."

Kouga's jaw dropped to the ground as Sesshomaru's words slowly sank in. "You...You already searched for their scents! Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

Sesshoamru smirked, "Would you have listened to me if I did?"

"Huh. Probably not." A shrewd gleam came into Kouga's eye, and as though he knew what was coming, Shippo began frantically shaking his head. His efforts were useless, however, and he slapped a hand to his forehead as Kouga began to speak, that gleam still in his eyes, "Oh, I get it. You like to make everyone think that you can't stand Inuyasha, but deep down, you care about him because he's your brother."

With a roar of pure rage, Sesshomaru lunged at Kouga, striking him across the face and sending him flying. Sessomaru was already beside the wolf-demon with a claw to his throat by the time Kouga hit the ground, "Now, you get one thing perfectly clear, wolf. The one and only reason that I care what happens to Inuaysha is because of my niece. I swore on my honor that I would keep her parents safe, and I have no intention of breaking that promise to her. I _hate_ my brother, and if it were my choice, I would leave him there to die."

Kouga paled as the youkai's hand twitched, bringing Sesshoamru's claws perilously close to Kouga's thoat, "Okay...Alright, I get it. I'll shut up, I swear." Sesshoamru stayed where he was for a moment longer, then stood and calmly shook the dust out of his yukatta before turning and walking gracefully away.

"Well, that just leave one question, doesn't it?" Kouga thought out loud, "How did Noru manage to make them vanish into thin air?"

To their surprise, it was Shippo who provided an answer, "I've been thinking about that, too. I don't think he did. Noru doesn't have that kind of power, and we all know it. There is somebody who's _rumored_ to have that kind of power, though...Moshiro. The only thing I can think of is that they were taken through a portal."

Sesshoamru and Kouga stared at the young kitsune with unveiled surprise, "Huh," said Sesshomaru, "That's a surprisingly sound deduction."

Kouga grinned, "Good job, sprout! But _how_ does he do it?"

Sesshoamru sighed, "When all reasonable answers have been disproved, then whatever remains – however unlikely – must be the truth."

Kouga narrowed his eyes, thinking hard, "So...So, what you're saying...What you're saying is that Moshiro can open portals? And control shadows?" Seshsomaru made no reply, only nodded once. "Oh. Great. Lovely. We're dead. All doomed. Kiss your butts goodbye now."

Sesshoamru rolled his eyes and took a menacing step forward, "We should head for Inuyasha's village. I think I may have a thought on how to draw Moshiro out."

Inuyasha woke slowly, his mind confused and pounding. Memories began to sluggishly filter back into his mind. He and Kagome had been walking hand-in-hand behind the others when he'd caught the scent of Noru and another stench that clung like wet wool and lingered like fish, but was utterly unidentifiable. After that, things made considerably less sense. The dog demon had grabbed the both of them in his powerful arms and then they...It seemed like they had sunk into the ground, swallowed up by darkness. But that didn't make sense...did it? The hanyou groaned and tried to figure out where he was. He could tell that he was laying on some sort of stone floor; he tried to stand, but found he was unable to move. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was not laying, but rather hanging from a stone ceiling and chained at the ankles and wrists so that he could not move.

Across the room, he saw Kagome secured in a similar fashion. Her brown eyes were open and staring unhappily at him, "Well...This is _bad_ ," she said with irony.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her, "Thanks. I couldn't have figured that one out on my own. Where do you think we are?"

Kagome had opened her mouth to answer when a high, cold laugh pierced the silence, "I believe I might be able to answer that question, my dear, dear Kagome. My name is Moshiro. You didn't really think you would be able to escape me forever, did you? My most favorite pet...I have missed your offerings, my dear."

Kaogme's eyes went wide, "No," she whispered, "No, this...this isn't possible. How did we get here?"

Moshiro laughed his bone-chilling laugh again, "Noru fetched you for me like a good dog. I sensed he had you and opened my shadows for him. You see...shadows lead to me, without fail. All I had to do was open a sort of portal for him, and he slipped through with the two of you, right under the noses of your little friends. I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces when they realized you were gone!" A terrifying smile spread across the shadow-demon's face, his pale silver eyes glinting maliciously at his captives as his midnight-black hair writhed and curled around him like snakes, "I'm afraid it will be far too late for you by the time your friends arrive. You'll both be reduced to little more than a snack for Noru by the time I'm through with the two of you. We are going to have so much fun, the three of us. You see, Inuyasha...My favorite delicacy is fear, and _your_ fear is particularly delicious." Moshiro sighed lustily, "Oh, I haven't had this much fun in _centuries_. I will return to play with the two of you later. In the meantime...Make yourselves comfortable." Moshiro's laugh echoed off the cold stone as he turned and slammed a heavy door behind him.

Kagome stared hopelessly at Inuyasha, "What are we going to do? I just escaped him, and now he has me again! I can't..." she broke down, sobbing hysterically.

Inuyasha strained at his confines, trying desperately to get to his mate, "Shhh, hush now. It's going to be alright. We'll get out of here somehow."

Kagome nodded, still trembling with fear as one last tear rolled down her cheek, "I hope you're right, Inuyasha. I just can't see any way out of it this time."

The hanyou narrowed his eyes at her, "I'll find a way. Just hang on until then."

Kagome gave a small smile, "Does it really look like I have a choice?"

At that moment, the door opened again and Noru entered, smiling greedily, "Well, well. Look at this lovely sight. I've been given the task of...softening you up for my Master. I am going to greatly enjoy this." As he spoke, a stream of demons entered, each carrying some gruesome apparatus for torture. Noru smiled nastily as he picked up a long, thin, hooked instrument and approached Kagome with it, "Now...where should I start with this little beauty, do you think?" Grinning even wider, Noru placed the instrument at her temple, curving it under the skin and tearing a long, bloody line down her cheek.

Kagome screamed a long, piercing tone while Inuyasha struggled against his restraints, murderous fury in his eyes, "I'm going to kill you for this, Noru! Your head is _mine_!"

Noru chuckled darkly, "I sincerely doubt that, Inuyasha. My Master will not be stopped a second time, and your people don't know our location. They have little chance of finding you before it is too late." Noru laughed again, striding slowly towards Kagome, the instrument dangling lazily from his fingertips. Slowly, he brought it near to her throat and traced it gently – almost lovingly – down past her collarbone and beneath her robes to the tender, delicate skin of her breast, "Don't worry, child. This won't hurt...it will be _excruciating..._ " Her screams melded with Inuyasha's as Noru began his work.

***Author's Note***

Weee! I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am! I'm really glad I'm re-writing this; the story is getting back to where I always wanted t now, and I couldn't be happier with what I've got so far! Thanks for reading! Lots of love.

\- Lady Darkwind


	14. Chapter 14

***Author's Note***

Good Afternoon, my dears! I'm so so sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I've been very busy with writing my first original book, work, kid...etcetera. Anyway, I wanted to show more of why it was that Moshiro took Inuyasha and Kagome; hope you like it! Enjoy, dear readers.

***End Note

They had made it to Inuyasha's village in record time; Sesshomaru had claimed that he was anxious to check on his daughter and niece, but Shippo and Kouga couldn't help but think there was something more going on. After all, Sesshomaru was more rigid and silent than ever. Shippo had elected to sit on Kouga's shoulder, rather than try to keep up with the two older demons. From his seat there, he leaned in close and whispered in Kouga's ear, "Do you think he's worried about Inuyasha?"

Kouga sniffed derisively, "Maybe. But he would definitely kill us on the spot for even suggesting it to him. He can probably hear us, by the way."

Shippo shrugged, "I know, but...I'm kind of worried about the guy...Isn't that weird? I never thought I'd feel sorry for Sesshomaru, and I _definitely_ never thought I'd be worried about him. What an odd feeling."

Kouga frowned, "Yeah. As much as he says it, I don't think he hates Inuyasha like he used to. I think he probably stopped hating him as much once Momoko came along." Just then, Sesshomaru glanced back at the two of the with a glare that chilled the very marrow. "I think maybe we should stop talking about him now." Shippo, who had paled at the look on Sesshomaru's face, nodded and fell into a hasty silence. In short order, they had come within sight of the village, and Sesshomaru put on more speed, leaving Kouga in a cloud of dust.

He reached the village long before the other two and found that Sango and Miroku were already waiting for them, "What's wrong?", Sango asked, worry etched across her face. "Sesshomaru...Where is Inuyasha? I thought he was with you. Isn't he with you?"

Sesshomaru said nothing, but strode past her, looking for his daughter. She came bursting out of Sango and Miroku's house, crying "Papa! Papa!" The youkai knelt and held his arms out for her, wrapping her in an embrace so tight that it looked as though he were saying goodbye.

Sango laid a hand on Miroku's arm, a look of great concern on her face as Kouga skidded to a halt right next to them, "So, I'm guessing the dog-king over there hasn't told you anything about what's going on." Sango turned to the wolf-demon and nodded, prompting a sigh from Kouga, "We found Kagome. She's alive...or at least she _was_ a few days ago. She and Inuyasha were taken by Noru; we think he may have taken them to Moshiro." Sango gasped in horror, "There was no trail to follow, but Sesshomaru said he had an idea on how to graw out Moshiro and that we should come here, so...Here we are. He was mostly just anxious to see his daughter, I think. We've found no sign of Rin anywhere, though. I'm starting to wonder if Moshiro isn't keeping her and Ayame at his castle." Kouga trailed off gloomily.

Miroku sighed, "I was afraid it was something like this. Sesshomaru usually makes _some_ sort of answer, even if it's not a spoken one. He didn't even _look_ at us when he passed. He was just worried about Kagome. Speaking of whom...She's _alive_!? You're certain?"

Kouga nodded and explained the events of the last week to them, watching them grow more and more astonished, "That's when we lost them," he finished, "so we decided to come back here. We're just hoping we won't be too late for them when we finally _do_ find them."

"This is most troubling news," observed Moroku, "The loss of either one of those two would be devastating, especially now. Momoko has been very confused since Inuyasha left. She adjusted so well to the notion of her mother being dead; now that her father went to search for her, she doesn't know what is true anymore. Should one or both of them die...That would be terribly damaging for her."

Kouga sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck, "Damn. I didn't know the kid was in such bad shape. I guess we're gonna need to come up with some kinda plan to find them."

"Have you considered tracking _Moshiro's_ scent? I'm sure you would be able to. Even we mere humans could smell _that_ stench." Sango suggested

Kouga nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense. It's just I don't think he ever leaves his stronghold. It might be like finding your favorite bone in a big ole _stack_ of bones." Kouga paused at the odd looks the others were giving him, "What? Humans don't say that?"

Miroku shook his head, "Uh, no. We really don't. That's a wolf thing, I'm thinking."

Kouga shrugged and headed for Sango and Miroku's house. As he neared the hut, a high voice cried, "Wolfy tail! Wolfy tail! Yay!" As little Kagome came rushing out of the house to try to grab at Kouga's tail.

The wolf froze mid-step and turned on his heel to evade the toddler, shouting, "No! Damn it, kid! What the hell is it with you and my tail!?" Sango chuckled as she watched them, laughing harder as her own three children joined in on the fun.

Miroku came to stand beside his wife, "I believe the time may have come for you to dust off your Hiraikotsu. I get the feeling that they are going to need our help to find our friends. I have some ideas on how to find Moshiro."

Sesshomaru suddenly appeared at the door of Sango and Miroku's hut, "What ideas, human?"

"Yes, I thought you might be listening. I considered the day the village was attacked and how they seemed to appear out of thin air, which is corroborated by Kouga's account of the attack on _his_ village, as well as the attack on your own village. To me, it seemed as though they used some sort of portal to come and go. My idea was either to figure out where the next attack would be or to simply make _ourselves_ a target. Once we have accomplished that, then all we have to do is accompany them back through once they start to leave." Miroku spread his hands wide, indicating that he was finished.

Jaken appeared at his Master's elbow, "A foolish notion! As if my Lord Sesshomaru would allow himself to be subjected to such humiliation!"

Sesshomaru did not so much as glance at the imp, "Actually, I rather like the idea. I was thinking along the same lines, myself. I think it would work beautifully." Jaken squawked in surprise at his Master's words, "Not bad, for a _human_ ," Sesshomaru sneered. "Now, where is my niece?"

The youkai's face darkened with protective rage, prompting Sango to rush forward and lay a hand on his arm, "She's in the forest, with Kaede, gathering herbs. She should be back any moment."

Just then, a small white streak rushed from the forest and launched itself at Sesshomaru, "I knew it was you, Uncle Sesshomaru! Where's Papa?", Momoko nearly sobbed into her Uncle's hair.

The youkai sighed, "It seems your parents are in trouble again and need rescuing. Miroku and I were coming up with a plan."

Momoko nodded, still sniffling, "I heard some of it. Uncle Miroku's plans are usually pretty good, but if you had the same one, it's sure to work! Please bring my Papa home," she begged.

Sesshomaru softened, just a bit, "I promise that I will do everything that is in my power, Momoko. You have my word."

The young hanyou nodded and wiggled until she could jump back to the ground. The adults and Shippo left the little ones under the watchful eyes of Kaede and Jaken, then headed inside to eat and plan. It didn't take long for them to come up with something that they were sure would bring Moshiro running. They decided that they would make it known that the village would not be taken a second time, as extra security measures had been taken to protect the children. Sesshomaru seemed certain that it would be too tempting for the shadow-demon to resist. They waited one week, praying that they would not be too late. Just as they were beginning to give up on their plans, the skies darkened one sunny afternoon and the telltale stench seeped through the village. Sango smiled grimly behind her mask and gripped her Hiraikotsu more tightly, "Here they come," she cried, "Be ready!"

Behind her, Sesshomaru snarled as he began his transformation. Miroku narrowed his eyes, watching closely for the intruders. Kouga and Shippo bared their teeth and let loose with vicious snarls, "We're ready for 'em!" growled Kouga.

They came like a tide, though not in the numbers Sesshomaru had expected. Clearly, the demons had not expected the welcome that they received. Noru, in particular, seemed unprepared as he faced a furious, snarling, and fully transformed Sesshomaru. The two dog demons lunged at each other, teeth snapping mere inches away from each others' throats. They used teeth and claws to tear at each other, though Sesshomaru was clearly the better fighter, and better-rested. The tide of the battle turned quickly in their favor, and within twenty minutes of leaving the portal, Noru sounded the retreat. There were very few demons remaining, and yet it was utter pandemonium. Noru and his remaining demons turned and ran haphazardly as a portal opened behind him. Sesshomaru and the others didn't wait for a heartbeat. As they had planned, Sesshomaru dashed towards the others and carefully grabbed them up in his teeth, tossing them on his back before springing after Noru. In moments, they were through the portal and Sesshomaru's paws were landing on a cold, black marble floor, surrounded by enemies. It seemed their battle had only just begun.

Inuyasha hung limply from his shackles, blood dripping down his face and his eyes glazed over with pain; Noru had enjoyed torturing the hanyou and his mate. Perhaps a bit too much, truth be told. Inuyahsa weakly lifted his head to stare across the dungeon at his beloved mate, who was in a state similar to his own. She had lost consciousness some time ago, when Noru had begun shoving red-hot needles under her fingernails. The thought made his stomach churn with revulsion and rage. Even as he looked at her, her eyes slowly flickered open, "Inu...yasha?" she said softly through her swollen lips, "Where are we?" She could barely whisper, such was the damage done to her face and neck.

The hanyou's breath caught in his chest, "We're still in Moshiro's dungeon. Noru's gone, though. No idea where the bastard has gone, but I swear I'm going to rip him apart when I find him."

Just then, a mad, high-pitched giggle came from the shadows of the dungeon door, "Now, _that_ is a fight I would cherish to see," came a soft, keening whisper, "I hope he wasn't too rough with you. We haven't had our fun yet, Inuyasha."

"No! No, you stay away from him, Moshiro!"

The Shadow-demon seemed to melt out of the shadows, a smile no longer gracing his sharp, handsome features, "Oh? And who will stop me? You, human? No...No, I don't think you have it in you just now," he breathed mockingly. Moshiro stalked across the chamber to where Kagome was chained to the wall and leaned in close, inhaling deeply through his nose, "Mmmm," he moaned, "Your fear is the most delicious I have ever tasted. Remember this, my dear: You are quite helpless to stop me." Without another word, Moshiro seemed to glide across the floor towards Inuaysha, "I must correct myself. Her fear _was_ the most delectable...until I tasted yours." Inuyasha's head snapped up and his eyes went wide as Moshiro raised his right arm and drew the shadows to his hand, forming a crooked blade where his index finger had been. Delicately, as one would handle the finest lace, Moshiro laid the tip of the shadow-blade against Inuyasha's bare chest and pressed, ever so slightly. The hanyou's back arched and his eyes went blank as his mouth opened in a silent scream. Moshiro giggled again, "You see? We will have so...much... _fun_."

The hours passed and before they knew it, a week had passed under Moshiro's ministrations. _I don't know how much more we can take_ , came the thought, quite unbidden, into Inuyasha's mind. _I'd rather we die here, together, than watch him torture her for another moment._

"Good morning, my pets," came the Shadow-demon's gleeful voice as he melted up through the floor, "I have truly enjoyed our time together. However, sadly, it is time for me to bid a fond farewell to one of my pets. Kagome...I'm afraid your time has come. You will be served for dinner tonight for my best men; they will be honored to feast on your flesh, my dear."

"Don't you _dare_ ," growled Inuyasha, "Don't you _dare_ touch her!"

Moshiro cackled madly, "Oh, no...No, my dearest pet. _I_ will do nothing." Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in confusion. "It is _you_ who will kill her, and I will watch!"

Inuyasha began to struggle as the Shadow-demon slunk towards him, but to no avail. Inuyasha could not escape the mad gleam in Moshiro's eyes. The Shadow-demon took Inuyasha's face in his hands gently, almost lover-like, and bent his face towards Inuyasha's as though he were going to kiss him. When his mouth was mere inches away from the hanyou's, Moshiro exhaled slowly, expelling a long, thin trail of smoke-like shadows. Inuyasha tried valiantly to close his mouth and breathe through his nose, but Moshiro simply pinched Inuyasha's nostrils shut until the hanyou gasped in a breath, gasping in the shadows along with the much-needed oxygen. At once, Moshiro released him as Inuyasha began to convulse violently. Thin black lines began to spread across Inuyasha's face like an infection until, at last, they reached his eyes. The effect was like someone pouring squid ink into a glass of water. At first, the shadows swirled and pooled in Inuyasha's eyes, until they had dyed his eyes completely black. It was then that the hanyou stopped struggling.

Moshiro let loose his mad cackle and approached Inuyasha, releasing him from his shackles. "Now," he purred, "I want you to kill Kagome. Slowly. In any way you like. Take any pleasures you want from her first, but make sure it is painful and that she dies slowly." Inuyasha stood slowly, seeming to fight Moshiro's influence for a moment, but finally growled a response.

"Yes, my Master," tore from between his clenched teeth as his true form began to emerge.

Moshiro continued to giggle madly until the dungeon door suddenly burst open and one of his servants rushed in, "Forgive me, my Master! I would not have disturbed you, but...But we're under attack, my Master!"

"WHAT!?", he bellowed. "By whom?"

"Lord Sesshomaru and the others, my Master. It seems they laid a trap for Noru and followed him through your portal."

Moshiro's scream of pure rage echoed off the stone walls, "It seems I will not be able to watch after all, my pet." To his servant, he snapped, "Bring Ayame and Rin. They may yet prove useful." Over his shoulder, Moshiro called to Inuyasha, "Come and find me when you've finished. I'll put you to good use." without another word, he rushed from the room as Kagome began to scream.

***Author's Note***

Phew. Sorry for the cliffhanger there, my dears. Well I am, but I'm not. Know what I mean? Anywho, I hope you enjoyed; I'll try to post another chapter soon. Thanks for reading. Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	15. Chapter 15

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon, my dears! I've got a bit of a short chapter for y'all today. I didn't have a lot of time to write today, but I still wanted to get a little something up. We get to see a bit of a struggle within Sesshomaru in this chapter, and Miroku gets to cut through it with merciless logic. I love it! Hope y'all do, too. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Sesshomaru lifted his enormous muzzle and scented the air, a growl bursting from his throat as he caught the fading scent of his Rin. _She was here_ , he thought angrily to himself, _She was here, and I was too late!_ In his rage, Sesshomaru sprung forward and neatly caught up a half-dozen lesser demons in his jaws, biting them easily in two. They fell to the cold marble floor in pieces, where they moved no more. His massive head snapped to the right as he caught two more familiar scents. He barked at Miroku and pointed his nose in the direction the scent was coming from. The monk nodded, and headed at breakneck speed in that direction while the others followed hastily after him. Sesshomaru blocked the passageway with his bulk, easily picking off any demons who were foolish enough to come too near.

Miroku and the others rushed down the dark, dank, gloomy hallway that was sparsely lit by torches interspersed throughout the passageway. As they neared a large, wooden door, Miroku's face paled and he exchanged a frightened look with Sango; they could clearly hear Kagome screaming from behind that door. What truly terrified them, however, was the angry, ripping growls that could be heard along with her agonized screams. At last, they reached the door and slammed their shoulders into it, forcing it open. All at once, the entire scene seemed to freeze, as though someone had hit pause on a movie. Inuyasha stood over Kagome, his eyes completely black, and his claws dripping with blood. There were many long, bloody furrows all over Kagome's porcelain skin, and he had clearly broken both of her arms more than once. Her legs stuck out in odd angles – they, too were likely broken. The look on Kagome's face, however, was the most harrowing of all. She was staring up at her mate in wide-eyed terror with a complete lack of recognition.

A small whimper came from between Kagome's lips, seemingly breaking the spell and returning everyone to their senses. Miroku, Sango, Kouga, and Shippo sprung instantly into action, each trying desperately to get to Kagome and subdue Inuyasha without hurting him. He, however, did not seem to share that compunction. He seemed determined that not a single one of them would leave alive. Inuyasha's claws raked Sango's chest, and Miroku's heart clenched in terror, "SESSHOMARU!", he bellowed, "We need your help!"

Back in the entryway, Sesshomaru's ears twitched when he heard Miroku's bellow. From where he was crouched, he could faintly hear the sounds of intense battle, so he whipped around, quick as he could, and slashed out with his massive fore paws, being sure that none would dare follow him as he shifted quickly back to his human form and began to sprint down the hall after his companions. Within moments, he was at the door and staring in bemusement at the scene before him.

With great effort Miroku made his way over to the youkai, who stood leaning nonchalantly against the door frame with a bored look on his face. "Well?" Miroku demanded, "Aren't you going to help?"

Sesshomaru glanced at the monk with derision, "Why would I? He may be my brother, but I care little for him, or any of you for that matter."

Miroku snarled at him, "If you ever want to see Rin again, you'll help." Sesshomaru stood suddenly, leaning towards Miroku and growling. Miroku, however was undeterred and continued, "If we're ever going to find her, we're going to need Inuyasha's help. And if you need his help, I suggest you help us subdue him and ensure that little or no harm comes to him or Kagome."

Sesshomaru stopped, staring at the monk in surprise. After a long moment, he snapped, "Fine. But I don't do it for your sake. I do it for Rin...And for another chance to take a chunk out of my little brother..." Without another word, Sesshomaru sprung forward, swinging his right elbow forward and catching Inuyahsa with a vicious blow across his jaw, sending him sprawling, "Well, come on, _brother_ ," he sneered, "If you want to kill something before you run away like the coward you are, you can at least try for someone who's stronger than you are." Inuyasha growled angrily and charged at the youkai, who dodged him easily, "Is that all you have, _hanyou_? Feh. It's no wonder Father wanted nothing to do with you." He continued to taunt his brother while he studied him carefully. A familiar stench assaulted his nostrils, stunning him long enough for Inuyasha to claw him mercilessly across the face. Sesshomaru snarled and lashed out, catching his brother on the temple and sending him flying int the far wall of the dungeon. "Monk! He reeks of shadow-stench. He must be under Moshiro's control."

Miroku nodded, "Yes, I noticed that. So what do we do about that?"

Sesshomaru shot the monk a withering glare, "You're the monk. You think of something." At that moment, his brother regained consciousness and sprung right back into the fray, although he fought with far less coordination and skill than he normally did. "Puppet," he muttered under his breath. "He's nothing but a puppet with Moshiro pulling the strings! He must be fighting the control as much as he can."

Miroku pressed his lips into a grim line, "You may be right. Well, if that's the case, then perhaps I _can_ do something about this. Unfortunately, I'm going to need time. You need to keep him distracted. You can't make it seem like you're _trying_ to distract him, though."

Sesshomaru allowed a bloodthirsty grin to spread across his face, "So you're telling me to hurt him." Miroku nodded grimly, "I think I can manage that. Fear not, monk; I won't kill him. You're right. I need him." He said the last with an odd note in his voice, but Miroku shook his surprise off quickly and sank to the floor to gather his Chi. Sesshomaru was true to his word, and by the end of half an hour, he had scored many deep wounds on his brother from which blood flowed freely. He could tell that Inuyasha was weakening, but the puppet master would not allow his toy to rest.

At long last, Miroku rose and shouted, "Sesshomaru, MOVE!" Needing no further warning, the youkai leaped out of the way as a beam of light burst forth from Miroku's outstretched hands, engulfing Inuyasha. For a moment, the hanyou seemed unaffected, but then his back bowed and an unearthly scream was torn from Inuyasha's throat for a short moment before he collapsed to the dungeon floor, completely unconscious.

A long way away, Inuyasha's scream was echoed by Moshiro. He fell to his knees, his body smoking, "What in the hell was that?" he groaned.

From behind him, there came a nervous chuckle, "My husband is coming for you, Moshiro. You should be afraid," taunted Rin while Ayame scrabbled at her friend's arm, trying in vain to silence her.

The shadow-demon stood and stalked slowly towards the two women, "Oh, should I?" A terrible smile crept across his face as horrible claws of shadow formed around his fingers. The two women trembled with fear as he neared them.

***Author's Note***

Phew, yet another cliffhanger! I'm sorry, but I'm not; know what I mean? I had planned to make this chapter a little longer, but I'm afraid I can only type so fast! Hahaha. Hope you liked this chapter, my friends. Thanks for reading; lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	16. Chapter 16

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon! Sadly, there will be no happy moment just yet...Just you wait until you see what I _have_ got for you, though! There is, however, a sweet moment between Momoko and her Uncle Sesshomaru. enjoy!

***End Note***

The moment Inuyasha slumped to the floor, Sesshomaru swept him up and flung him unceremoniously over his shoulder and sprinted out of the room, heading for the portal through which they had come. It still remained open, and he could see a few remaining demons struggling with the villagers on the other side. Without so much as a backward glance, he leaped through the portal and landed softly on the other side.

"Damn that guy! Why's he gotta leave us like that?", Kouga shouted in irritation.

Miroku sighed and shook his head, "You're going to have to grab Kagome. I've got to help Sango. Shippo, run ahead and let Kaede know that we will be needing her skills!" Shippo nodded and took off at a sprint. Miroku didn't know many people that could overcome the little kitsune on short distances. "Easy, now," he whispered to Sango as she tried to lurch too quickly to her feet. At last, the two of them hobbled down the now-empty hallway towards the portal that Sesshomaru had vanished into. Glancing behind him, he saw Kouga gingerly lift Kagome into his arms. As his gaze returned to the front, Miroku paled and poured more speed into his and Sango's movements, "Kouga! The portal is closing! Hurry!"

The pair paused by the entrance to the portal and watched anxiously as Kouga hurried towards them, staggering under Kagome's weight and trying desperately not to jar her any further than was absolutely necessary. The portal shrank smaller and smaller until Kouga shouted to them, "Go on without us! I'll keep her safe, I promise!"

Miroku shook his head stubbornly, "No, you stubborn wolf! If we don't get her to Kaede _now_ , she'll die! You have to come with us right now!"

Kouga paled and redoubled his speed. He reached the portal with only seconds to spare. Miroku shoved Kouga, Kagome, and Sango through first, leaving himself the space of a heartbeat to fling himself haphazardly through after the others. As his shoulder slammed into the ground, the portal shut behind him with sonic boom, sucking all the sound out of the world for a split-second before an ear-shattering _boom_ rent the air, sending shock-waves through the village and knocking many to their knees. "Well, that was lucky," Miroku breathed, "I lost a bit of my robes when the portal closed." He held the end of his robes up for the others to inspect, and sure enough; just at the end of his robes, there was a chunk of fabric missing where it hung to his knees, "If I hadn't gotten my legs in, I would have lost them!" The companions helped each other up and staggered their way into the village.

The villagers made plenty of room for them to pass, many of them exclaiming their surprise and pleasure at Kagome's return. With little warning, Kaede burst from her small hut and came bustling towards them as quickly as her old bones would allow, "Thank the Powers," she called, "When I saw Inuyasha, I feared the worst! How is she?" The old miko rushed directly to Kagome and bent over her, pressing her fingers to Kagome's neck and her wrist to Kagome's forehead. Her face grew instantly grim, "Take her to my hut," she said in a terse, tense tone, "She is worse than I feared."

Kouga and Miroku carried the women into Kaede's hut and laid them gently on the tatami, where Sango immediately began to object loudly, "I'm fine, really. It's just a scratch. They're in far worse shape than I am. I'll be okay."

Sango fell suddenly silent at the scathing look the old miko shot her, "Oh, yes. I suppose I'll just allow you to bleed to death, shall I? No, girl. You're as important as these two are. You just sit still, and I'll get to you. Not another word about it, understand?" Sango nodded meekly, "Good. Now be quiet, all of you. I need to concentrate. The damage here goes far deeper than the flesh. Their minds have a great deal of damage from what has been done to them." Needing no clearer a dismissal, Miroku and Kouga slipped quietly outside, where Shippo sat on the stairs, gazing blankly towards the woods. Miroku glanced in the same direction as a slight movement caught his eye. There was a quick flash of long, white hair, and then nothing.

Sesshomaru saw the monk and the wolf exit the old woman's hut and turned to head further into the woods, towards the shrine that Kagome had built around the well she used to use to enter this world. He knew that there was a clearing near the shrine that Momoko loved to play in, and it was there that he was heading. He could hear Jakken's shrill voice as he fretted over Momoko and little Kagome, "Now, you mustn't do that, girls! If you fall and get hurt, my Lord Sesshomaru will have my head!" Just then, he heard the girls stop their play; he knew they must have heard his approach. Sesshomaru stepped out of the woods and into the clearing, causing Jakken to screech in surprise. "M-m-m-my Lord!", stammered the imp, "I did not know you had returned! Did you retrieve the girl and your brother?" Sesshomaru said nothing, only stared at his niece with an expression on his face that was the closest to grief Jakken had ever seen. The imp's mouth popped open in surprise, and he fell instantly silent.

"Momoko," Sesshomaru said quietly, "Come here." The girl raised up her chin and clenched her hands at her sides, but did as her beloved uncle requested. "Something has happened."

"It's my Papa, isn't it?", the girl queried tremulously. Sesshomaru nodded silently. Momoko's right hand trembled for a moment before it snapped out, faster than the eye could follow, leaving shallow claw marks on Sesshomaru's left cheek as tears streaked down her own, "You promised," she shrieked, "You promised me he'd be okay! I can smell his blood all over you! You hurt my Papa! How _could_ you!?" The young hanyou turned on her heel and sprinted away from the temple, further into the woods.

Sesshomaru stood and sighed as he watched the girl go as Jakken rushed over, "My Lord! You're hurt! Here, let me help you!"

Sesshomaru said nothing, but glared so viciously at the imp that he skidded to a halt. He crossed the clearing to where his own daughter was watching, wide-eyed. He tucked her hair delicately behind her ear, "Hush, Chisai Hana. Little Flower. I'm fine, and so is your cousin." Straightening, he continued, "Stay here with Jakken. I'm going after Momoko; it's not safe in these woods." Without another word, he strode confidently into the woods after his niece. In short order, he found her weeping at the foot of the Cursed Tree. "Your father is alive." Her head snapped up, and a small gasp reached Sesshomaru's ears. "This is where they met, you know. Your parents. Your father was pinned to that tree by a holy arrow, and your mother released him from its spell. After that, they traveled near and far, fighting demons and collecting the Sacred Jewel Shards. Our paths crossed many times, though I was usually trying to _kill_ your father."

"Looks like nothing has changed," scoffed the girl.

Sesshomaru inclined his head once, "A fair assessment. However, child, there is more to it than that. If you will listen, I will explain." The girl stood and climbed onto the tree's great root, turned towards her uncle, and sat before nodding grimly. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, but told her everything that had happened, leaving out no detail. At the end of the story, Momoko's brow was furrowed in thought, "You see? There was more to what happened than you allowed yourself to see. If you had paused to allow your senses to work fully, you would have noticed the shadow-stench that taints the blood on my hands. He was not himself, and I could not be seen to be holding back. So, yes, I hurt him. But I made sure that there was nothing _fatal_. Painful, yes. Fatal? Never. I made you a promise, Momoko, and I intend to keep it. No one is allowed to kill your father besides me. I will lay my own life down, if it means your happiness, or the happiness of my own daughter."

Momoko tilted her head to the side, "Even if it means dying to save my father? I know you hate him."

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow again and sighed, "Yes," he said, "Yes, I would save your father, if you asked it of me. And yes...I hate my brother."

Momoko hopped lightly off of the tree trunk and walked up to her uncle, taking his hand in hers and yanking him down to her eye level, "What I don't understand is _why_ you hate him. He's not that much different from you, really. And if _I_ had a brother or sister, I'd do everything I could to protect them." Sesshomaru's eyes went wide with surprise, and he found that he had no answer for the child's uncomfortably observant query.

Kaede bent over Inuyasha and Kagome, her brow furrowed with concentration and worry, "I don't understand this. What exactly happened to them?" Kaede's brow furrowed more and more as Sango told the tale form the sick bed Kaede had forced her to lay in, "Then it is far worse than I dared fear. Send for your husband; I will need his strength." Sango nodded and stood, using a crutch that lay beside her sick bed.

Still sitting on the stairs was Shippo, "Shippo, I need you to get Miroku. Kaede needs him."

Kaede reached with her powers into Inuyasha's mind, only to be repelled by a shadowy wall. All at once, both Inuyasha and Kagome arched, darkness spreading from them both as they began to scream and convulse. With each convulsion, another wave of darkness burst from them with such force that it shook the very ground.

***Author's Note***

Phew. Yet _another_ cliffhanger! If you're starting to think that I like those...Well, then you'd be right. Don't worry; there will be come humor shortly to break up the serious, and some romance, too. I am so very happy with the direction my rewrite is taking! This is the way I wanted it to go from the moment I came up with the idea! I'm so happy that there seem to be so many people enjoying it, too! Thanks for reading, as ever; lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	17. Chapter 17

***Author's Note***

Another short chapter for you, I'm afraid. I tried to pack as much into this chapter as I could, though, so that you don't feel cheated! Hope you like it...enjoy!

***end Note***

It had taken Kaede many hours to first calm, then stabilize Kagome and Inuyasha. For the first two hours, every time she would try _anything_ , the waves of shadows would burst forth again. Even now, as Sesshomaru, Momoko, and little Kagome stood on a quiet hill overlooking the village as the stars winked into existence to begin their nightly vigil. Little Kagome had seemed to sense – and probably hear – the majority of what was happening, so once Sesshomaru had returned from his talk with Momoko, she had latched on to his arm and refused to be removed. At last, Jakken had stopped trying to force the child to bed and had retired to his own, exhausted from the events of the last few weeks. Sesshomaru could almost feel sorry for the imp...Almost. If he wasn't so irritating, perhaps he would feel compassion for Jakken, but as things stood...he felt nothing. He did, however, sense that something was not sitting well with Momoko. That was the main reason they stood on the quiet little hilltop, away from the rest of the village.

At last, she took a deep breath, "You lied to me, Uncle Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru stiffened slightly but recovered quickly, "Oh?", he said in a bored tone, "When?"

Momoko tugged her hand out of her uncle's and turned to look up at him, "When you said you would die for my Papa. That was a lie. I knew it when you said it. Why did you lie?"

Sesshomaru cocked his head at the child, "How did you know?"

She shrugged, "It didn't smell right."

Sesshomaru nodded, "You are wise beyond your years, child. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that you are only six."

The girl's ears pinned back and she lifted her head proudly, "I'm almost seven," she stated defiantly.

Sesshomaru's mouth twitched in response, "So you are." He sighed heavily, "I lied because I thought it was what you needed to hear at the time. No, Momoko. I would not die for him. It will never come to that. I made you a promise, child, and I intend to keep it. I returned your mother to you, as well as your father. I think that I have done my share. It is time for your father to do his part. That is the _only_ reason he is still alive."

Momoko's eyes narrowed as she stared at her uncle, ears and nose twitching madly. Finally, she nodded, seeming satisfied. "Now, _that_ , I believe.", she said frankly. "Uncle?"

"Yes, Momoko?"

"I'm tired." With that, the girl began to walk slowly down the hill towards the village. Kagome seemed to more than half asleep on her feet, so Sesshomaru lifted her gently and settled her comfortably on his hip, where she laid her head on his shoulder and was instantly asleep.

Kaede, Sango, and Miroku sat up for many hours, late into the night, keeping watch over Kagome and Inuyasha. Shippo had tried to keep up the vigil, but he was still young, and as such had fallen asleep as the moon rose over the too-quiet village. To those sitting sleepless in the huts scattered throughout the sheltered little valley, it seemed like the calm before the storm. There was an electric energy still in the air that felt like it might snap and unleash a second hellish shadow-wave at any moment. Many sat with their children, just watching them sleep in case it might be the last time they saw their loved ones. This feeling was only intensified inside of Kaede's small hut. Inuyasha and Kagome's breathing was slow and shallow; the old miko was concerned, "I thought they would be further along by now," she fretted quietly.

Miroku leaned forward and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "They will be. Don't worry so much. I can sense Inuyasha growing stronger. I fear, however, that this will not be the last battle they have to face. I fear that there is a great deal of rebuilding that they will have to do once they wake up. Which, I'm sure, was part of Moshiro's plan all along. I doubt he planned for us to rescue them at all, but it may well have been one of his contingencies. No, I believe they will have to battle with their own minds, once their bodies are healed. Believe me; _that_ is the most difficult battle of all, and one we cannot help them with. All that we can do is to grant them what support and love that we can."

Kaede nodded and laid a withered hand over Miroku's, "You know something, monk? You may be a lecherous, perverted heathen of a man...But sometimes you surprise me with your insight and depth of feeling for your friends. You are right, of course. We must do what we can for them, which will not be much, I fear."

Many more hours passed after their hushed discussion, and as the sun rose over the hills, at long last, Inuyasha and Kagome opened their eyes and gazed blearily about. At first, their friends were overjoyed. However, the sensation did not last long. The moment Kagome saw Inuyasha, a bloodcurdling scream rent the air, and she tried her level best to scramble away from him, her eyes wide with terror. She raised such a fuss that Kaede was finally forced to relent, and Miroku carried her carefully to the hut his family shared.

Inuyasha stared up at Kaede with devastation in his eyes, "What should I do, old woman?"

Kaede frowned, sympathy heavy in her eyes and in her voice, "Give her time, Inuyasha. All you can do right now is give her time. I will help however I can, but this is something that the two of you must face _together_. Trust in your mate, and the bond that you share. No shadow-demon can break such a bond so easily. The two of you _will_ survive this; I believe that. I _must_ believe that...or Moshiro has already won."

Inuyasha nodded, "I thought you might say something like that. Well, I get it...But I don't like it."

The miko smiled, "I know. But in this case, you have no choice, Inuyasha. If there were any other way, I would tell you. This time, however, it is her mind that you must fight – and your own."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," he grumbled, turning his face away.

Kaede smiled gently, "Yes, you do. You see it in your head, don't you? What you did while you were Moshiro's puppet. I'm sure that you will dream about it, as well. That is _your_ battle. Kagome's is separating _you_ from the puppet in her mind. She will have to learn to see past what was done to her and accept that it wasn't _you_ doing it. Given all of the trauma that she has experienced over the last year and a half...Well, I'm not surprised she's not just bouncing back the way she usually does. It will take _time_ , Inuyasha."  
The hanyou nodded, "I know. But I still hate it."

***Author's Note***

Short, yes...But intense. What awaits our dear friends? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next update to find out. Hahahaha! Mine is an evil laugh! - Brownie points if you get that reference...Anywho...Thanks for reading, as always, my dears. Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	18. Chapter 18

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon, my dears! I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update...I've been insanely busy, what with Halloween approaching and all. More drama in this chapter, but there will be an icebreaker in the next one! Enjoy!

***End Note***

Kagome and Inuyasha were many days in physical recovery, all the while Sesshomaru looked on in growing agitation, knowing that his mate was surely in terrible pain at the hands of Moshiro and there was little he could do for her on his own. The estrangement of Inuyasha and Kagome had a profound effect on the entire village. Many feared that they would never speak again, while others believed in the all-conquering power of love. For Inuyasha, however, the days he was separated from Kagome were – for him – far worse than when he thought her dead. Knowing that she was only a few huts away, and as far out of his reach as if she were back in her time...It was pure hell for him.

Kagome had her own struggles during this trying time. Every night she woke with terrible nightmares, all of them with Inuyasha as the star. It seemed that Moshiro had planned for the possibility that Sesshomaru and the others would launch a rescue, and made sure that Inuyasha scarred Kagome's mind and memories of him. His plan was more successful than he could ever have dreamed; during the time of Kagome's rehabilitation, Momoko had wandered into Miroku and Sango's hut to visit with her mother, feeling that she could no longer stay away. The moment the poor child's white hair and dog ears became visible to Kagome, she reacted in a way that none could have predicted; she began to launch her power at her own daughter, screaming madly at Momoko to get out. The poor girl ran from her mother, weeping openly, and none could tear her from her father's side – not even Sesshomaru – for nearly a week.

At last, Kagome's wounds healed enough for her to resume some of her duties as a miko, and began to tend once again to the hurts of others. This seemed to act as a balm to Kagome's spirit, and she began to smile feebly after the first day. She was even able to help in the fields somewhat, which began to bring some life back into her limbs and color to her cheeks. After the twelfth day, Kagome's dreams began to recede at last. She had first one dreamless night, then another. The trend continued for five days, and Kaede began to have hope for her reincarnated sister. Early one morning, however, Kagome rose early for a walk in the woods and heard two voices – clearly both men – discussing her.

"I don't know how much longer I can take this. I know the old woman said to be patient and not to go near Kagome, but...I feel like a part of me is missing, ya know?"

The second man sighed heavily and responded, "I know exactly how you feel. What I don't understand is why you came to _me_."

Kagome heard the sound of shuffling feet and the soft reply, "Well...Miroku and the others already have their hands full with Kagome and the kids...Shippo's just a kid, himself...Kaede...Well, she's never exactly been _sympathetic_ to me before...I guess you're all I've got right now other than Kouga, and let's be honest; I'd rather cut my own ears off than listen to _that_ mangy wolf's advice."

The second man sounded as though he were holding back a chuckle, "True." He sighed again. "I do not know what to tell you. Rin has never reacted to me in such a way, so I am uncertain how useful my advice will be, but...I _do_ understand the loss of your mate. I feel it more keenly every day. For that, all that I can tell you is this: Do not shove it on her all at once. Let her see you from a distance a few times, and be closer every time. If you do that, perhaps you will get her used to you again. Whatever it is that you _do_ choose to do, Inuyasha...It will be very difficult. You have a great deal of work ahead of you."

Kagome stiffened at the hanyou's name, even as he replied, "I know, Sesshomaru. Thanks. I know I'm your least favorite person in the world, but...I guess sometimes, you just need your family. Even if you _hate_ your family."

Sesshomaru sniffed, "Well, I wouldn't say _least_ favorite." There was a long pause, "I hate you less than two people, and two people only." Another long pause, "Moshiro and Jakken."

Inuyasha was silent for a long moment before he snorted out a derisive laugh, "Oh, great. I rate higher than the imp. Nice."

Just then, the two appeared suddenly through the trees, directly in front of Kagome. They stared at her in surprise, blinking at her sudden appearance. Kagome's eyes went enormous, and she turned on her heel, sprinting away through the half-light of early morning. Inuyasha made to run after her, but Sesshomaru reached out, quick as lightning, and grabbed his brother's arm, "Don't. Seeing you before she was ready has done enough damage already. I know you are only concerned for your mate, but if you chase after her, you will undo all of the progress she has made, and possibly lose her forever."

Inuyasha shook off his brother's restraining hand and tried again to go after her. Again and again Inuyasha tried to get past his brother, and each time, Sesshomaru would stop him. At last, Inuyasha swiped for his brother's face, catching him neatly across the eyes. The two circled each other, snarling viciously. The longer they circled, the louder their snarls became, until they began to draw villagers towards them, curious about the commotion. They fought viciously, Inuyasha still trying to get past Sesshomaru, and Sesshoamru still stopping him each time. Miroku and the others were some of the first, and they watched with bated breath as each brother lunged and scored a fresh wound on the other. At last, Sesshomaru grew weary of their quarrel and lunged forward, until he was directly in Inuyasha's face. When the hanyou stumbled back in surprise, Sesshomaru lashed out with his fist, sending his brother into a tree, dazing him. "Stay down, mutt," Sesshomaru sneered at his brother's prone form before turning and vanishing into the early morning mists.

It took half the day for Inuyasha to stop sulking after his humiliation, but he finally came down out of the woods and saw Kagome – _his_ Kagome – sitting with her back to him, tending the wounds of some of the farmers in the village square; clearly, there had been some sort of mishap in his absence. "Kagome lost control of her powers and caused a bit of an explosion; a few people got hurt," came Miroku's calm voice from behind Inuyasha. "She did _not_ handle seeing you well. Sesshomaru told Kaede, Kaede told Sango and me. She fears that she's suffered a terrible setback because of this."

Inuyasha nodded numbly, "I know," he murmured. "I'll stay away from her." The declaration broke his heart, but he knew it was necessary. That night, Kagome's screams echoed off the mountains as terrible snarls from monsters with glowing red eyes haunted her dreams.

***Author's Note***

I know, I know. More setbacks for Kagome. Poor thing! Thanks for reading, lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	19. Chapter 19

***Author's Note***

Good evening, my dear readers! This one took me a little longer to finish than normal; I've been having a bit of a hard time concentrating today. At last, though, we've got some happy news coming. And - hopefully - some comedic relief. I hope you find this chapter as funny as I did! Enjoy!

***End Note***

After Kagome's setback, it took her another week to regain the progress she had made, slight as it was. All the while, Kouga and Sesshomaru grew more and more impatient with their predicament. The two were often seen in each others' company, quietly talking together, and it took little imagination to realize what they were discussing. It was perfectly plain that the two demons were discussing the plight of their respective mates. It was ever-present on their minds, just what Ayame and Rin may have been going through since they had rescued Inuyasha and Kagome from Moshiro. It seemed clear to them that the Shadow-demon would have been vexed – to put it mildly – at the loss of Inuyasha and Kagome. The villagers would rush hurriedly past them as Kouga and Sesshomaru gazed out from whatever corner they had shoved themselves into; the looks on their faces and in their eyes were hardly friendly ones. In fact, one afternoon when Kagome had nearly fully regained the progress she had lost, Sesshomaru lsot his temper entirely with a villager, and Inuyasha had leaped in to stop his brother from murdering the poor man. The incident had led to yet another shouting match between the brothers and yet _another_ brawl. This one, however, left both of them bloodied and bruised with no few broken bone between them.

A few days after the most recent brotherly brawl, Kagome seemed to be moving past her ordeal. Inuyasha began to take his brother's advice, allowing himself to be seen now and again – but always from a distance. Slowly, Kagome seemed to grow accustomed to seeing Inuyasha in brief glimpses from afar, and even began to look for his shock of white hair now and again. By the third day of this, the hanyou would stand, well within Kagome's line of sight, and just watch from a careful distance, while his mate and daughter played. A few times, he even saw Kagome look up at him with an inquisitive expression, as though she wanted to ask him a question, but couldn't get up the nerve to do so. Though it stretched his patience to the limit, he made sure to move slowly when he knew she was watching. It seemed that if he moved too quickly, it frightened her terribly. It heartened him, however, to see that Kagome no longer seemed to harbor any fear for their daughter, though Momoko resembled Inuyasha so closely.

At last, after they had been in their village for nearly a month, recovering, Inuyasha began to draw near enough to Kagome that she could see the whites of his eyes. She would not let him touch her or speak to her, but she _did_ allow him to sit nearby while she worked or played with Momoko. Inuyasha would sit and watch out of the corner of his eye if Kagome was looking in his direction, but when she wasn't...He could not resist turning his head to look directly at his family. The distance was slow, agonizing torture for him. His mate was _right_ in front of him, but he could neither speak, nor look at her, nor move too quickly, without sending her into a panic. Although, it _did_ seem as though she were growing more accustomed to his presence. Her heart no longer raced like a frightened rabbit every time she saw him, and her nightmares had completely stopped. Kaede told him that, though her progress was slight, any perceptible shift was improvement. To her, it seemed that there was something building, and whatever it was...It would shatter the tremulous calm. Either it would thrust Inuyasha and Kagome apart forever, or it would draw them closer together than they had _ever_ been. Which it would be, though...only time would tell.

Normally, little Kagome and Momoko could be seen playing happily together, seeming to be the best of friends. Since their fathers' most recent brawl, however, it seemed that a wedge had been shoved between the two hanyou. Whether they were picking up on the mounting tension, or whether they were simply worried about their fathers, no one would likely ever know, but one afternoon, while Kagome was watching her niece and daughter play, the two girls began to argue. At first, the miko ignored it, thinking it was just normal girl behavior, but then she heard a small growl. Glancing in shock at the two girls, she saw little Kagome and Momoko standing facing each other, both with their eyes red and their claws drawn.

"It's my turn with the doll," whined Momoko.

"No! Doll mine," returned Kagome.

"I just want a turn!"  
"No! Mine!"

"Meanie!"

"You got no tail...Like tail better."

"Nasty brat!"  
"Stinky mutt!"

"Your daddy's mean. Guess it rubbed off on you."  
"Your daddy's stupid. Guess...rub'd...on you." Little Kagome's face twisted with effort as she tried to give as good as she got. The effect would have been amusing if it weren't for the ripping growls that began to roll from each of the girls. The two crouched and began to circle each other.

Kagome paled, and thought only of her daughter and what those claws might do to her. Immediately, she lunged for her daughter, but too late. The two girls lunged for each other, kicking, scratching, and clawing at one another. Now, it seemed that a young hanyou's claws were little more dangerous than those of a kitten. Sharp and able to pierce the skin, yes. However, they were not exactly life-threatening. As the fight intensified, brief shouts of, "My daddy is better than your daddy," and " _Your_ daddy looks like he was sat on by a troll," could be heard from the scuffle of flailing arms and legs. Somewhere within the whirlwind of adolescent claws, teeth, and fluffy white hair, there came the sharp whines and high-pitched exclamations of two children locked in deadly – at least in _their_ minds – combat.

Inuyasha had been sitting on the far end of the clearing while the two girls played, but could no longer stay back, though he had given his word. As the fight began to escalate, the hanyou waded into the fray, calling, "Alright, girls. That's enough." The girls, however, did not hear him. The two continued brawling until Inuyasha heaved a heavy sigh, reached down, and plucked up the two girls by the scruffs of their necks. "I said, _enough_!", he growled angrily to no avail. With no warning, a tiny foot swung upwards _directly_ into Inuyasha's jaw, the tiny heel stunning him for a moment. Before he was fully aware of what was happening, the two girls had worked their way out of his grasp and began to crawl over and around his shoulders, scratching, clawing, and biting at each other wherever they could. Most of their blows missed the mark, however, landing firmly on Inuyasha's face, neck, and shoulders instead. Every few breaths, there would be a curse and a sharp inhalation of breath, followed swiftly by a surprised, "Hey, ow!" from Inuyasha.

The entire scene was so utterly ludicrous that Kagome stood staring in silence for a long while as the villagers grouped around, gaping openly at the two girls circling the hanyou's shoulders, fighting as viciously as a six year old and a three year old can manage. Suddenly, the absurdity and humor of the situation caused Kagome to snort in a most undignified manner. All at once, the three hanyou stopped, mid-stride to see what Kagome would do next. Quietly, a small giggle worked its way through her lips, then another and another until she was bent over double and clenching her stomach as tears streamed down her face. At first, the gathered villagers stared in shock at the miko, then they slowly started to join in. At some point, Sesshomaru waded in and retrieved his daughter from Inuyasha and Miroku ushered Momoko off to play with the twins. At last, Kagome's laughter slowed and finally stopped. Glancing around, she found that she and Inuyasha were alone in the village square, though she could hear snatches of whispered conversation from behind closed doors and shutters.

To his credit, Inuyasha stood with his left shoulder facing his mate, staring blankly out at the fields, unable to look directly at his mate for fear of sending her into hysterics again. After a long, tense moment, Kagome found herself studying the hanyou. _He really is handsome_ , came the grudging thought. Slowly, and with great trepidation, Kagome took minuscule baby steps towards her mate. With every step, Inuyasha tensed slightly, but he did not move. "Inu...yasha?", came the quiet inquiry.

"Yes?", he answered, just as quietly.

"Can you please look at me?" Inuyasha's heart stopped for a moment as he nodded once. He rotated with agonizing care and slowness until he was looking at her, and she stood staring unflinchingly back. Kagome stood trembling for a long time as she studied his face closely. She took three small steps towards him until at last, on a wild cry, she flung herself into his arms, weeping.

Inuyasha brought his arms up and wrapped them gently around his beloved mate, "It's alright now. Everything's gonna be okay." All over the village, there were quiet sighs of relief; it seemed that Moshiro had only succeeded in separating the pair for a moment, rather than permanently.

***Author's Note***

Phew. That was a bit intense at the end there. Well, looks like our heroes can move forward now! Back to the rescue mission! I don't think Kouga and Sesshomaru will let the others sit on their haunches any longer, now that Kagome and Inuyasha seem to be well on their way to a full and complete recovery! Thanks for reading, as always, my dears. Sweet dreams, and lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	20. Chapter 20

***Authors' Note***

Aaaaalrighty, then! I know, it's been a wee bit since I posted, but I've been crazy busy with work, Halloween, and Cub Scouts. Phew. Lots to do! Anyway, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY! One of my favorite days of the year, and as such...I have a bit of a freaky-ish episode for you. Also, a cliffhanger...another one...I'm sure you all hate me my now, but...I'm having fun. Enjoy!

***end Note***

Ayame and Rin sat in their hanging cage, shivering with cold and illness. They had long ago lost track of how long they had been in Moshiro's captivity. He had been growing bored of them over the last few days, and often left them in their cage for days on end with neither food nor water, let alone allowing them to stretch their legs or relieve themselves. As a consequence, the smell was incredible, and illness had begun to fester and breed in their hanging prison. Ayame had been growing weaker of late, and Rin could see that she had lost nearly all hope of rescue. "I thought they would have come for us by now," Ayame whispered weakly.

Rin grimaced and forced confidence she was not certain she felt, "I'm sure they're coming. Something just...delayed them a bit, that's all. They would never leave us behind...never," she finished in a whisper, as though to herself.

"How can you be so sure?"

Rin sighed, "Sesshomaru is my Lord and mate. He has never left me behind before, and I cannot...No, I _will_ not believe that he would do so now. I know that Moshiro had Inuyasha and Kagome...Perhaps that is what has delayed my Lord?"

Ayame snorted softly, "Don't be so naive, child. Your _mate_ only wanted an heir, and now that you have provided him with one...Well...I doubt that he is coming for you. And Kouga is not coming for me, either."

Rin struggled to sit up and lean towards her cellmate, "Don't talk like that! Kouga loves you. He'll come for you."

"I used to think so."

Ayame's breathing suddenly grew shallow, and the wolf-demon slumped over, her head lolling to the side. "No! No, don't you dare leave me here all alone! Ayame... _Ayame_!" Suddenly, the cage shook and began to sink towards the floor, as Rin continued to shake Ayame, trying desperately to rouse her. A cold chuckle echoed from below.

"Oh, dear," came Moshiro's careless voice, "It seems one of my little birds has died...Bring her to me," he waved a hand lazily towards the cage, and two of his henchmen made for the cage, unlocking the door and easily shoving away a weakened Rin, though she screamed and wept for her friend. The two demons dragged Ayame's body towards Moshiro and dropped her at his feet without ceremony, "Pity," he said coldly, "She was more delicious than I had anticipated."

Kagome and Inuyasha had spent the entire night and half the morning in each others' arms, making up for the time that Moshiro had cost them. By mid-afternoon, however, it was clear that Kouga and Sesshomaru would wait for the others no longer. Sesshomaru bid his beloved niece and daughter farewell and met up with Kouga in the village square, intending to press on alone, if they had to. Sesshomaru stood silently, waiting for the wolf while the villagers went out of their way to avoid him, often casting unnecessarily cautious glances in his direction. All of this open hostility was beginning to wear on the youkai, though he would not admit it to anyone – including himself. At last, he caught the wolf's scent approaching from behind him, "It's about time," he snarled, "You certainly made me wait long enough."

"Yeah, sorry. I wanted to say 'bye to Miroku and the others. Didn' know when I might see 'em again."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, "So, you kept me waiting...for _sentiment_? Stupid wolf. We are wasting precious time."

The wolf-demon sighed, "I know, but..." without warning, Kouga's eyes went suddenly blank and he fell eerily still. The villagers began to pause, staring curiously at the wolf; Kouga had always been rather well-liked in the village, and there were far fewer villagers who feared him than Sesshomaru.

"Kouga?" queried the youkai, as Kouga's silence stretched on. Across the square, Sesshomaru saw Inuyasha and Kagome step out onto their porch, their faces wary. All at once, a piercing scream rent the air and Kouga's eyes went wide as he began to tremble violently, his back arching. Sesshomaru lunged forward to catch the wolf as he fell, Inuyasha reaching them mere seconds after Kouga's convulsions had begun.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. We were talking, and he suddenly went quiet."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, "That _is_ odd...For Kouga, anyway."

Just then, Kaede came hurrying over as quickly as her old bones would carry her, "Out of my way!", she cried, "Make room! I need to see." She quickly felt at his pulse, examined his eye, and held her hand over his mouth to be sure that he was breathing. She even held a hand over one eye and removed it again to see whether or not the pupil would respond to the change in light. Whatever it was that she read in Kouga's symptoms, it was not goo. Her brow furrowed and her mouth puckered, "This is bad," she muttered to herself, "There seems to be nothing _wrong_ with the man...Unless..." She gasped and held her hands over her mouth, "No...Oh, by the gods...Please, no." Kaede muttered a few quiet words under her breath and held her hands over Kouga's eyes.

Life suddenly returned to his eyes, but little sanity was in them. "Aya...me..." he moaned, "Ayame? **AYAME**!" The wolf-demon's eyes filled with tears and spilled over in the space of a heartbeat, "She's...gone...I can't...I can't feel her anymore...No..." he moaned softly as his knees curled up towards his chest and he wrapped his arms around his knees, sobbing quietly into the dirt."

"No," gasped Kagome. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't..."

Kagome's voice seemed to act like icy water on a drunk. Kouga's sobs suddenly began to abate, and he began to slowly sit up, as though in a trance, "No," came his cold, lifeless voice, "No, it's not your fault, Kagome. Moshiro is to blame." A vicious growl tore from his throat, "And there ain't nowhere he can hide from me. I'm gonna make 'im pay for this."

Inuyasha laid a hand on his sometimes-friend's shoulder, "We'll get him, Kouga. I promise. Now, I've got his scent...Can't never forget that stench. I think...I think I've got some kinda connection to him, now that I've been under his control. I'm pretty sure I can find 'im better now than before."

Kouga's head snapped around, and his eyes burned as they bored into Inuyasha's, "You'd better, mutt. You'd better."

It didn't take very long for Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others to make themselves ready to leave. Before the lunch hour was through, the companions had struck out on the road once more, and had Moshiro been able to see the rage that boiled in their hearts, he would have been sore afraid.

***Author's Note***

I know, I used a bit of an old-timey phrase at the end there with "sore afraid", but it just seemed to fit the mood of the sentence. Don't know why, but it just sort of... _happened_. Well, _I_ think it fits...anywho, hope y'all liked it! Thanks for reading, and - as ever - lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	21. Chapter 21

***Author's Note***

Good morning, everyone! So, a bit of a serious chapter here. The plot, as they say, thickens! Hahaha. Seriously, though; we've got some surprises in this chapter. We're going to see what Rin's up to in this chapter, so...Enjoy!

***End Note***

Rin's sobs echoed through the dank, dark room. Underneath the heartrending sound was the quiet, ragged pants of someone who is terribly ill. Even as Rin sat over her friend's tortured form, Ayame's eyes fluttered open, seeming to be overly-large for her drawn, pale face, "Oh, thank the gods! I was afraid I'd lost you."

Ayame seemed to realize where she still was and shuddered, "I was with him...", came the soft reply.

"With who?" Rin cocked her head in confusion, wondering for a moment if her friend had lost her sanity.

"Kouga. They're coming for us. They're very, very angry."

Rin's hands flew to her mouth, "I _told_ you they wouldn't just leave us! Are they alright?"

Ayame tried to shake her head, but groaned with sudden pain at the movement, "I don't know. I...I only looked...for...Kouga..." Ayame's voice began to fade as her eyes fluttered shut again and she lost conciousness.

At that moment, there was the sound of a heavy door opening, "Ah, so she lives," came Moshiro's amused statement, "You see? I am a merciful Master. You should cease with this incessant loyalty to a mate who is clearly not coming for you. If you did...Perhaps I could make some... _allowances_ for the pair of you. Perhaps a bed for the two of you? Some hot meals? Medicine for your ailing friend?"

Rin thought hard for a moment, until the glimmerings of a plan began to stir in the farthest reaches of her mind, "If I do...What will be expected of us?"

A horrible grin spread across the shadow-demon's face, "Why, only to be loyal only to me, of course." He widened his eyes innocently, "In _any_ way I see fit."

Rin nodded, appearing to give it consideration, "What of my body? Would it remain mine, or would that belong to you, as well?"

Moshiro chuckled, "You certainly aren't a shy one, are you?" He narrowed his eyes, measuring up the human girl before him, "No, it would remain yours. You reek of dog. I wouldn't sully myself with the leftovers of a mutt like Sesshomaru."

Rin smiled in a way she hoped was an alluring way, "Well, in that case...Promise me you'll see to Ayame first? And we _share_ a room. I don't trust your... _servants_."

Moshiro cackled madly, clapping his hands with glee, "You have my word," he purred, a quiet threat in his eyes that clearly said Rin could _not_ trust his word.

Rin steeled herself against her own heart, which screamed at her not to do what she was about to do, "Very well. Moshiro, I pledge myself to you and only you, as your faithful servant."

Moshiro grinned wickedly, "I accept your fealty, my pet." Without another word, he bent and lifted Ayame in his arms as easily as if she was a cloud. He helped Rin to her feet, where she wobbled weakly and followed Moshiro out of the drafty dungeon he had kept them in. The moment they stepped into the hallway, a wave of warmth washed over Rin, sending a shiver down her spine. Moshiro led her to a room with a large, luxurious western-style bed in the middle of the middle of the room that was piled high with frilly, feminine pillows and soft, thick furs. In the corner of the room stood a large basin for bathing and a wash closet for other needs. There was little else in the room, save a few shelves packed with books in many languages; many of which, Rin had never seen. Moshiro carried Ayame to the bed and laid her carefully on in the midst of the furs. He left the room for only a moment, and returned with a line of servants; three carried two large, wooden buckets filled to the brim with steaming water, which they dumped into the large wash basin. The remaining servants carried with them clothes of the finest quality, paints for the girls to use on their faces, medicines for Ayame, soft cloths with which Rin could wash her ailing friend, and last but far from least, the final three carried with them massive silver platters loaded down with every kind of food that Rin could have imagined and two large carafes of rice wine. As the servants filed out of Rin and Ayame's new room, Moshiro spoke, "This is the reward of being a faithful servant," he said slowly and very clearly, so that Rin could not mistake his words, or the meaning behind them, "However; should you ever cross me, girl..." he came close and took a lock of Rin's hair on his hand, "And all deals are off. You belong to _me_ , now. Make no mistake about that." Moshiro's nose twitched, and his lip curled in disgust, "Now, go clean up. I'm going to vomit if I'm near your stench any longer." With that final blow, the shadow-demon whirled on his heel and strode quickly out of the room, closing the heavy double doors firmly behind him.

Rin sank onto the bed, weeping silently. She felt a sick, heavy guilt in her heart at betraying her beloved Lord Sesshomaru, but she knew it had to be done. Ayame would die without the proper care, and Moshiro was the only one who could provide it. Rin felt a lump of steel form in her chest; their cage may have been a gilded one now, but a cage it remained. She resolved then and there to escape with Ayame at the first chance. If she had to worm her way into Moshiro's confidences, then she would do it. With that lump of steel heavy and cold in her chest, Rin stood and gathered up cloths and medicines so that she could tend to Ayame, before anything else happened. It was not until a few hours later, when she was satisfied that she had done all for Ayame that she could, that Rin bathed herself. By then, the bath water was cold as ice, but Rin didn't mind if it meant her friend would live.

Inuyasha and the others had been traveling at the speed that only hanyou and youkai could travel. Shippo clung to Kouga's back, and Inuyasha carried Kagome's reassuring warmth on his back, while Miroku and Sango rode Kirara. The journey was abnormally quiet so far, as Kouga refused to speak to any of his companions, causing an eerie sort of silence to descend over the group as they rushed along the road. Every now and again, Inuyasha would pause for a moment, causing the others to stop and watch him intently while his ears and nose twitched, until he seemed to find whatever it was that he'd been searching for, and continued on his way. They went on like this for three days, pausing only for food and for Inuyasha to find the trail again. At last, Kagome could not stand the silence any longer, "So...What exactly are you following, Inuyasha? I can't imagine that there's a scent trail this far out."

Inuyasha shot a quick glance at Kouga to gauge his reaction to the question, but the wolf-demon just sat staring into the distance with a vacant look on his face while he ate the meal Kagome had prepared, not really tasting or hearing anything. The hanyou looked back to Kagome and sighed, "Well, to say there's no scent-trail is inaccurate. Moshiro's scent is so strong that it clings to anyone who's had contact with him. His servants have passed this way; it's too weak for it to have been Moshiro himself. It's not that I'm following the scent so much as...There's this sort of... _pull_ in Moshiro's direction. That's more what I'm following than the scent. Although, the scent _is_ getting stronger, and it goes in the same direction that we are, so...To me, it seems like we're going in the right direction."

Sesshomaru spoke softly, "For once, your logic is sound. I hope for your sake that you are correct; if anything happens to Rin...even my promise to your daughter won't save you from me."

Inuyasha nodded, "If anything happens to Rin...Well, let's just say I won't be hard for you to find. I would never forgive myself if she dies."

Sesshomaru nodded again and fell silent, staring in the same general direction as Kouga. Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara moved closer to Inuyasha and Kagome. "So, what's the plan?", whispered Miroku. "Do we just burst in and kill everyone in sight?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "No, he'd be expecting that. We need to be more discreet this time around. We need to learn their guard movements and everything else we can before we make a move this time."

Miroku smiled, "Good. I'm glad you're not just thinking with your heart. You usually do when you're worried about a friend."

Before long, the group was up and moving again. Sesshomaru and Kouga seemed intent on pushing their companions until they collapsed from sheer exhaustion. They rushed on for the remainder of the day, and well into the night before Inuyasha stopped and flatly refused to go another step before they had some sleep, "We may not feel tired," he argued, "But Kagome, Sango, and Miroku _are_. They're just humans, after all; they don't have our stamina. If we keep pushing them like this, they're going to get sick, and then they won't be any use at all." They weren't happy about it, but Sesshomaru and Kouga eventually relented – albeit with poor grace – and allowed an overnight rest. They warned, however, that they would not stop again for a very long time. Inuyasha had never seen his brother so worried, and agreed. In his heart, the hanyou was worried for their friends as well; he'd suffered Moshiro's direct attention, and he dreaded what the shadow-demon might have done in the months that he'd had Rin and Ayame in his clutches.

***Author's Note***

Phew! Okay, dry your eyes, people! I know, I know; this one's pretty emotional, but everything's going to be okay, hahaha! Thanks for reading! Lots of love, all.

\- Lady Darkwind


	22. Chapter 22

***Author's Note***

So, something of a freaky chapter here...It will be explained in the next chapter, though. Poor Rin is going to be put to the test on her promise to Moshiro that she would do anything he ordered her to do...Enjoy!

***End Note***

Rin had refused to leave Ayame's side for nearly a week before the wolf-demon had finally awoken six days ago. Rin had helped her into the wash tub and bathed her gently, being sure not to cause her friend any more discomfort than was absolutely necessary. At first, when Ayame had opened her eyes, they had been filled with confusion. Rin had sat beside her friend and explained what she had done, and why. At first, Ayame had been terribly unhappy with her friend, but she had fallen silent for a while, thinking. "What are you going to do?", she'd asked.

"Play my part," Rin had whispered back.

Since that day, Ayame's health had improved steadily, and her strength had begun to return. Once Moshiro had seen that Rin had no intention of trying to make a run for it, he had begun to allow her to take Ayame on short walks on the castle grounds. The walks got longer and longer each day as Ayame's strength returned, and Moshiro had eventually stopped sending guards to keep an eye on them. It was during these walks that Rin and Ayame found the most solace in each others' presence.

They spent the time talking and planning for every contingency they could think of, including a number that seemed wholly impossible. Moshiro had doted on his favorite new "pets" most lavishly. Rin and Ayame had been gifted kimonos of the finest silk and the most expensive makeups with which to paint their faces; Moshiro insisted that "his girls" never have bare faces. He called it unfeminine and revolting. Rin felt that they had been reduced to porcelain dolls, and she feared that Moshiro would eventually grow bored with simply watching them from afar, and break his promise to her

While they walked, the memorized the castle grounds. Soon enough, they new every way in and out, including a number of secret tunnels that Moshiro had ordered dug should things go terribly wrong for him. Glancing up at the sky, Ayame sighed. "I miss the sun," she whispered. They had discovered that Moshiro had a sensitivity to light, and therefore kept the sun blotted out with his shadows day in and day out, so that he could go wherever he pleased. As such, his garden was in a sorry state. Most of the green, growing things had died out long ago. Even the hearty Bonsai trees were beginning to fail. The castle grounds were a depressing, lifeless place; even so, Rin and Ayame felt that it was a great improvement over being locked in their room, so they did not complain.

"I know," Rin whispered back, "But I have the feeling that we won't be here much longer. Our men are coming for us. I know it."

Ayame shrugged, "You're probably right. I just hope they come _before_ you get so wrapped up in this game of intrigue of yours that you forget who you really are."

Rin sighed. A few days ago, she had been approached by Noru. He had told her that Moshiro wished to see her, and that a servant would be summoned to watch over Ayame while she was gone. Rin had reluctantly agreed and Noru had led her directly to Moshiro's throne room. She had memorized every twist and turn on the way, being sure that she would be able to find it again on her own, should she have an opportunity to kill Moshiro herself. She had knelt before his throne, and he had given her quite the opportunity. If she would be his right hand, she and Ayame would be looked after for all of eternity. Rin had put on a good show of gracious acceptance, but in her heart, she had been planning how she might use the position to her advantage. Ayame had been overjoyed; Rin's new position meant that they would be allowed to roam wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

"We just have to keep our ears and eyes open. We need all the information we can get our hands on so that when they _do_ come, we will be able to aid them from behind the scenes," Rin whispered in Ayame's ear as she gave the wolf a squeeze. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."

Just then, the sound of a bell could be heard echoing across the grounds, "Looks like it's time for another Chamber meeting," Ayame grumbled.

Rin chewed at her bottom lip, "I know. I'm just afraid of what he may ask of me today. Last time, he made me watch as they did terrible, unspeakable things to this poor woman. Trust me...You don't _want_ to know half of what they did to her. Well, how do I look?"

Ayame took half a step back and eyed her friend, "Impeccable, as always," she said with a smile. "We may be in a gilded cage, but you certainly have made the best of it, haven't you?"  
Rin chuckled, "Do you want me to walk you back to our room?"

Ayame shook her head, "No. I think I'll stay out here and walk some more."

"Well, if you're sure...I'll see you after the meeting," Rin waved and headed quickly back towards Moshiro's "council" chambers. The moment she entered, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as every head in the room swiveled to watch her progress. On the enormous stone table in the center of the room, there was a man who had been clearly beaten and was now chained in place, his rags hanging off of him like the rags of a body long buried.

"Ah," came the shadow-demon's cold voice, "I'm glad to see you were able to join us. We have matters of the utmost importance to discuss, my pet."

Rin rankled internally at the sound of his name for her, but she bowed respectfully anyway, "It pleases me to hear you say so. How may I serve you, my Master?"

Moshiro's mouth stretched in a horrifying grin, "You see?", he purred, "This is how you should treat your Master." He chuckled softly to himself, "Rin. Come stand beside me," he commanded.

Rin bowed again and did as she was commanded. When she stopped beside Moshiro and bowed again, his long, cold fingers wrapped around her wrist, his pale skin a stark contrast to her own. He grasped her wrist firmly and _pulled_. To her surprise, she found herself being yanked forward into his embrace. She had to refrain from shuddering when she felt his nose skim her jawline once, twice, a third time, while he breathed in her scent. A few nervous titters broke out, but were quickly silenced by a look from the shadow-demon. With another yank, Rin found herself sitting in Moshiro's lap and leaning against his shoulder while his right arm draped over her shoulders, his hand toying with her collar. "Does my kimono please you, my Master?"

Moshiro chuckled, "It does, yes. But I was thinking it might be a bit too... _concealing_ for what I have in mind for you." He clapped his hands and a door in the side of the chamber opened. A servant entered, carrying what appeared to be a short assassin's robe. The front seemed like it would bare a great deal of Rin's chest, and she blushed to look at it. Moshiro placed his mouth to Rin's ear, causing her skin to crawl as he whispered, "A gem like you should not be hidden by so much fabric." Moshiro pressed his cheek to Rin's and spoke so that the rest of the hall could hear him, "We have gathered together today for a very special purpose. I intend to take Rin as my... _concubine_...for lack of a better term. What I mean is this: she will be my favorite tool, weapon, and...perhaps, someday...my most treasured toy." Rin felt a bead of sweat roll down her back at his words, "Today, she will become my favorite assassin. If she refuses...Well, then...Back to being a pretty little birdie." Raucous laughter echoed through the room as Rin stood.

She bowed respectfully, "As you command, my Master. I am your possession, after all, Master. I have not forgotten out bargain."

Moshiro licked his lips greedily, "Good." From the table, he took a long, thin-bladed dagger and approached Rin with it. Kneeling before her, he cut the hem of her kimono off two inches above the knee. Standing, he gave the collar much the same treatment, being sure that a generous amount of breast was showing. His fingers lingered on her collarbone for a long moment, "Most becoming," he nearly moaned. "Now, my _pet_ ," he breathed, "I want you to climb on the table...And cut that man to ribbons... _slowly_." he handed Rin the dagger hilt-first with a terrible smile on his face.

Rin steeled herself as she took the dagger, "It shall be as you command, my Master." She crossed to the table and, delicately as she could, climbed on top. Moshiro chuckled from behind her, and Rin blushed as she realized the view he must have. Rin stood over the poor man as his eyes went wide and he began to beg for his life. Kneeling, she placed one knee to either side of his hips and leaned forward on one hand, "It's not personal," she said softly, "But my Master has commanded me. I must do as he wishes." The man's screams echoed off of the cold stone walls as Rin sank the dagger into the man's flesh and set to work.

Four long hours later, Rin's work was finally done, and the man had breathed his last. She stumbled off to the room she and Ayame shared, shouldering the door open and standing in the doorway, trembling.

"So...How was it?" Ayame asked from the window, absorbed in a book, "Did you learn anything important?" When Rin said nothing, Ayame glanced up, concerned, "Rin, what...?" When she saw her friend's state, Ayame stood suddenly, her book forgotten as she rushed to take Rin by the arm and shut the door, "By the gods, what happened? What happened to your clothes...and...Rin, whose blood is this?" Without a word, Rin turned to her friend and threw her arms around Ayame's neck, sobbing. Truly disturbed now, Ayame helped Rin get out of her blood-soaked, tattered kimono and into the wash tub. It took a few hours, but they finally managed to get Rin clean, and Ayame had heard enough of what had happened to put the pieces together. By the time Rin had gotten into her sleeping kimono and crawled into bed, she was exhausted. Rin fell instantly into sleep, though to say it was restful would be inaccurate; she was plagued by nightmares and frequently woke crying. Ayame was always there for her with a shoulder to cry on and words of encouragement.

***Author's Note***

Next chapter, my dears...All will be explained! Moshiro has a definite reason for what he made Rin do, and you'll get that explanation in the first couple of paragraphs of the next chapter. Until then...Thanks for reading, and lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	23. Chapter 23

***Author's Note***

Good morning, everyone! Sorry, I know it's been a long time since I posted...I've been insanely busy of late. Hopefully, though, I'll be abale to finish this story over the next couple of weeks and move on to my next story! Enjoy!

***End Note***

An odd sound had awoken Inuyasha. It was so unfamiliar that he could not think what it could possibly be, though since no one else had stirred, he assumed they could not hear it. Inuyasha paused, straining his ears to catch the sound again. Off in the distance, he heard it again: a soft, quiet keening. Inuyasha sighed heavily and carefully worked his way out from under the blankets where Kagome slumbered peacefully. Shrugging into his Fire Rat robe, Inuyasha slipped silently away from the others who slumbered around the fire, and into the woods. As he grew nearer to the soft cry of despair, Inuyasha began to have a suspicion of who it was making the sound. At last, he came to a small clearing and stepped carefully into the ring of trees. The first thing that met his gaze was something on the ground, twitching as though it were in pain. Shaking his head, Inuyasha padded silently over to the prone, slumbering form of his brother. Even as he watched, the soft keening sound came from the youkai's throat again and he twitched in his sleep. "Sesshomaru," he called softly, "Sesshomaru, you're dreaming. Wake up." The soft words had no effect, however, so Inuyasha braced himself for what was sure to be a violent explosion of rage as he called more loudly, " _Sesshomaru!_ " and shook his brother's shoulder. With a final shout of " _SESSHOMARU!_ ", the youkai shot up suddenly, snarling and lashing out with his claws in Inuyasha's direction.

Sesshomaru grew suddenly and terribly still, his eyes wide with an emotion that Inuyasha could not interpret. All at once, the youkai's yellow eyes met Inuyasha's, and the hanyou was shocked to see tears there, "Rin..." came the broken whisper, "Rin's...Rin's hurt...Or something. Something is definitely not right. I dreamed of blood and the smell of fear. Rin is alive...Of that, I am certain. As for the rest...I cannot be certain. I was drowning in blood, and there was...There was a cold laugh." Inuyasha looked on his brother with pity and reached forward to clasp his brother's shoulder, moved beyond his ability to comprehend. The simple gesture seemed to snap Sesshomaru out of whatever vestiges of the dream he was still laboring under, and his eyes seemed to clear in that moment as he realized who it was that sat beside him. All at once, a vicious snarl ripped from the youkai's throat and he slung his left arm out as hard as he could, catching a surprised Inuyasha full in the chest and sending him across the clearing and into a tree.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I did what I thought was necessary. You were dreaming, and it sounded like you were in pain, so...Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going back to bed." Without another word, Inuyasha turned and left his brother to his pondering on what the dream might have meant.

Rin woke in the morning with a start and a soft cry. In a heartbeat, Ayame was beside her and stroking her hair gently, "It's alright, little one. It's over now."  
Rin shuddered and shook her head, "No. It's not. As long as I am here, Moshiro will use me as his personal assassin. I will have to do it again, and it frightens me. I feel as though I overindulged in rice wine last night."

Ayame nodded, "I know, honey. I'm sorry you're in this position; it's all my fault."

Rin chuckled softly and shook her head, "No. I'm in this position for the same reason you are: because we both have a powerful mate. Moshiro is going to use us as bait for our mates, and we are going to need to be in as high a position as we can possibly be. If I continue to act as his assassin, Moshiro will trust me and take me into his confidence. I hope to be placed at his right hand so that, when they _do_ come for us, I will be in the best possible position to help my Lord."

Ayame cocked her head and looked on her friend with renewed respect, "Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you? That is impressively sneaky...For a human."

Rin smiled gently, "Thanks, Ayame. I'll try to get a position for you, too. That way, we can both be there for our mates." Rin sighed unhappily, "It looks like he wants me to prance around in kimonos that hardly cover me at all." She shuddered, "Oh, how I wish I was home with my silks and my ribbons. I want nothing more than to be at home with my Lord and my daughter."

Just then, the massive double doors to their shared bedroom were flung open and one of Moshiro's many servants entered the room, "Our Master demands your presence, Assassin Rin." The man said nothing more and bowed his way out of their room.

In a short time, Rin had dressed in her kimono, feeling terribly self conscious as the cold air swirled around her bare legs. Beside her, Ayame strode confidently in a lovely silk kimono, both of their faces painted as Moshiro demanded. The moment the pair of them entered Moshiro's throne room, the Shadow-Demon spoke in a cold, still voice. "I called for Rin, not Ayame. Explain."  
Thinking quickly, Rin threw her arm around Ayame's shoulders and drew her friend's shaking form against her side possessively, "Ayame belongs to me. Where I go, she goes." To sell her attempted deception, Rin pressed a possessive kiss to the nape of Ayame's neck.

Moshiro's eyes went wide for a moment before he began to chuckle coldly, "Well then. This certainly changes things. When, exactly, did the two of you ah..."

Rin snorted, "You didn't think I'd do all of this just for a _friend_ , did you?"

Moshiro laughed heartily, "Oh, how lovely! Come, my lovely pets. Stand behind me."

The girls did as he commanded and Rin leaned close, trying to appear lover-like, and whispered in her friend's ear, "I told you I'd take care of you. We only have to keep this up until we're alone again." She nuzzled her friend's jawline as they took their place behind Moshiro, clasping hands tightly and hoping with everything they had that their deception would not be discovered.

***Author's Note***

Okay, so a short chapter; sorry, y'all! At least I'm updating though, right? Anyway, just to be clear...There is absolutely nothing sexual between Rin and Ayame. It is only a ruse to keep Moshiro guessing. Anywho...We're nearing the end of our story. Next, I'm going to write a Firefly fanfic...My mother actually gave me the idea for this one! Thanks for reading, all. Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	24. Chapter 24

***Author's Note***

Good evening, my dears! I know, it's been a while since I posted; sorry, I've been very, very busy with working on my novel. Luckily, it's almost finished! At the request of Rin Taiso, however, I took a break from my novel to bring you another chapter! Now, this one is a bit...Well, let's be honest...It's a bit sexy. Rin and Ayame are forced to push their fake relationship to a new level, and (finally!) Inuyasha and the others catch up to them! Wooo hooo! Oh, and lots of Moshiro being a smutty creep. I kept it away from sex, though, and _definitely_ no rape! Moshiro pushing boundaries, but...Well, you'll see. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Rin had been acting as Moshiro's assassin for nearly three weeks before there was so much as a whisper of impending rescue reached their ears. They had been standing in court, both freezing from the cold – Moshiro had insisted that Ayame's kimono be left open to the hip and the sternum, so that much of her delicate skin was exposed. The two women repressed another shiver as Moshiro's arms wrapped around the arms of his enormous throne to cup their thighs. They could almost _feel_ his satisfaction at what he clearly thought had been his complete victory, and were repulsed by his very presence, let alone the cold, perverted hand tracing the muscles of their upper and inner thighs. Rin cast a glance at Ayame, a warning in her eyes. Ayame nodded imperceptibly at the look, then glanced back towards the very end of the hall, where the doors to the throne room had just burst open and a frantic-looking demon entered. "Master," he cried, "Master, I have heard terrible news."

Moshiro's hands grew still on the girls' legs, "Oh?", he asked in his terrible, high voice.

The man trembled at the quiet threat in his Master's voice, "Y-yes, My Lord. It's Inuyasha, My Lord. He has survived." Moshiro's hand twitched, his claws digging into the tender skin they rested on. The man paled at the slight movement, "That is not all, Master. It...It seems that...that Inuyasha is now leading the others _here_. Including the demon-hunter and the monk, Master. They are all coming. All of them."

The room grew suddenly colder, prompting Rin to reach for Ayame, grasping her hand tightly as Moshiro slowly and gently removed his hands, being sure to first slide them under each of the girls' kimonos and up their rumps, before he leaned forward, "What do you mean, he is leading them _here_?"

The man trembled again, "It seems, My Lord, that Inuyasha was taken to a powerful miko, and she was able to heal him. Unfortunately, it appears that he retained some sort of connection to you, and it is leading him directly here."

"The miko...What is her name?"

"Kaede," the man whispered.  
Moshiro leaned back in his throne, returning his hands to stroking Rin and Ayame's thighs, "I see," he whispered. "Kill her," he murmured to one of his men, who grinned and rushed to comply.

Sensing imminent safety, the man began to babble, "Thank you, Master. My life is yours, Master. I..."

As the man continued his ramblings, Moshiro squeezed Rin's inner thigh near where her legs met, "Rin," he whispered sensuously, "You know how I love watching you work...Please, my dear..." He caressed her thigh once more before releasing her and drawing Ayame into his lap, "I'll just...Keep your mate company while you are gone."

Rin felt rage twist her stomach as her friend was pulled roughly into Moshiro's lap, her kimono falling further open as Moshiro's hand vanished inside it. The wolf demon's face contorted with revulsion as Moshiro laughed and shifted his hips suggestively. Rin shook her head and melted into the shadows as she had learned from Sango, slinking silently towards the still-babbling man who had clearly missed the entire exchange. Within seconds, Rin had lunged from the shadows and her daggers had pierced the back of the man's neck to protrude from his throat. Rin leaned on the man's back so she could stare into his face, watching as his eyes went wide and his breath gurgled in his throat as he tried to gasp for breath. She removed her daggers as she watched the light leave his eyes, sending a spray of blood arching into the air and drenching herself, as well. Moshiro watched with an intense lust in his eyes as the man fell to the floor, dead.

"Well done, my pet," Moshiro nearly moaned, "I don't suppose you've...re-thought my offer? Have you? I would treat you and your mate very well, indeed."

Rin stepped carefully over the still-bleeding corpse and bowed, "My apologies, Master, but we have not changed our minds. If you would please release my mate, I must return to our quarters. I think I may need my mate's help in getting clean."

Moshiro sighed with regret and gave Aayme' one final, lecherous squeeze before removing his hands from within her kimono and allowing her to stand. "A pity," he bemoaned as a half-dozen court concubines swarmed him, their breasts and thighs alluringly exposed; a couple were even so bold as to have bared their chests entirely, their breasts bared for Moshiro's greedy eyes, "Though somehow, I doubt that I shall be starving for company tonight."

Rin and Ayame made their way quickly to their quarters, where Rin locked and bolted the doors, her hands shaking with rage and disgust, "I nearly vomited when I felt his hands on me! How are we going to keep this up!?"

Ayame reached for her friend with trembling hands, "It will be alright, somehow. They will find us, our mates. Have no fear about that. They should be arriving soon, I think.

Rin glanced up at her friend curiously, "How can you be so sure?"  
The pretty wolf shrugged, "I don't know. I can just feel it. Can't you?"

Rin paused for a moment, thinking, "You know something? I think I can. They're getting close." Rin smiled, "Well, if that's the case, I think I really _will_ need your help getting clean, if you don't mind."

Ayame giggled, "Not at all. It gives me some sort of normal thing to do while we're stuck in this hell."

Not far away, Sesshomaru paused with his head back, sniffing at the air. "We are close," he said softly, causing Kouga and the others to freeze and stare at the quiet youkai. "Yes," he continued, "We are very close. I can smell Rin. Do you see that mountain in the distance?" As the others began to nod, he continued, "It is shrouded in shadows. We will find them there."

Inuyasha nodded, "If that's where you say they are, that's good enough for me. Let's move faster, then!" Without another word, the entire group rushed forwards, into the too-dark shadows of the mountain.

"I don't like this," Shouted Kouga, "It's too easy for him to ambush us!"  
Inuyasha chuckled darkly, "If I'm right, I think that's kind of the idea. If they capture us, then we won't really have to look terribly hard for his little hideout, will we?"

"You know, brother...Sometimes you surprise me."

Inuyasha sighed, "That sounded like a compliment, but somehow I feel insulted." The others chuckled at Inuyasha's discomfort. All at once, the darkness closed around them, "Here we go," Inuyasha stated calmly. One moment, they were rushing up the side of the mountain, the next they were standing in a large, icy throne room, demons on all sides, gazing at them with unveiled hostility in their eyes.

The silence was suddenly broken by the sound of someone applauding them, slowly and mockingly. "Well done," laughed Moshiro, "You found me. Now, what could you possibly have been planning to do once you found me?"

Sesshomaru chuckled, "We're going to kill you. I thought that was obvious."

"Ah. But don't you want to know what has become of your dear mates first?"

Sesshomaru and Kouga grew suddenly and deathly still, "Where are they?" Growled the wolf-demon.

Moshiro laughed his high, chilling laugh. "Why, they're just there. They are proud members of my court now, my dear toys. They will enjoy watching me play with you, I think. Although, it would be a shame to damage something so fine as the demon-hunter. You could, perhaps, join their little group. It entertains me greatly to imagine what they might get up to in their chambers...all _alone_..." The court concubines giggled and began to undo their kimonos, just enough that a generous amount of cleavage protruded from their kimonos. "Why don't you... _show_ them, my dearest pets?"

Kouga, Sesshomaru, and the others turned in the direction that Moshiro was staring, where Rin and Ayame were wrapped around each other, with more skin bared than every; Ayame's breasts nearly hung completely out of her kimono, "Of course, Master," Rin whispered sensuously as she pressed in further to Ayame. Just then, Rin caught Kagome's eye and gave her an intense look.

Kagome's eyes widened and she leaned in to whisper to Inuyasha, knowing the others would hear, "It's an act. They're creating a diversion."

As soon as Rin thought that Kagome had gotten the message, she leaned in and whispered to Ayame, "We need to make this convincing. Understand?" In answer, Ayame turned and pressed her full length against Rin, crushing her mouth against Ayame's.

Moshiro giggled madly, "Come to me, my lovelies." Rin and Ayame complied, standing on either side of Moshiro while he wrapped his arms around their thighs, pressing a cheek to each thigh in turn, "Ah...Such a lovely smell," he groaned. " _Won't_ you let me join you?"

Rin chuckled throatily, "Well, where would the fun be in that, Master?"

Moshiro moaned and ran his hands up their thighs, cupping their bums and squeezing as he pressed a kiss to Ayame's sternum, "Perhaps I won't give you a choice?"

Ayame pressed closer to Moshiro, her breasts brushing the top of his head, "I don't think you'd want to do that, Master..." As she spoke, she caught Sesshomaru's eye with a pleading stare. Sesshomaru seemed to get the message and nodded slightly. Rin smiled and leaned closer still to Ayame, crushing Moshiro between them as they kissed passionately. As they did, however, Rin's hand slid up Ayame's back to the long, deadly dagger that had been hidden there every day since their charade had begun. Pressing her breasts further into Moshiro's face and cringing as she felt his tongue on her breast, Rin yanked the dagger from its sheath and plunged it into the shadow-demon's neck, leaping away as he screeched.

***Author's Note***

Hehehe. Moshiro is finally getting his "just desserts", as they say. I hope you're looking forward to the next chapter as much as I am! As ever, my dears, thank you so much for reading! Lots of love.

\- Lady Darkwind


	25. Chapter 25

***Author's Note***

Good Afternoon, dear readers! I know, it's been a while. I'm sorry. I've been suffering from writer's block! Thanks to my dear Rin Taiso, that is no longer the case! The credit for this chapter is hers entirely, as it was her idea. Thanks, Rin! Enjoy, my friends.

***End Note***

As Rin and Ayame's feet touched the ground, Ayame did not hesitate. She lurched to the right, sprinting straight for her beloved Kouga. The wolf saw her coming and rushed to meet her, striking out at the demons that closed on them from all sides. Sesshomaru nodded to Rin and began to move towards her, but found his path blocked by a madly grinning Noru, "Where do you think you're going, _my Lord_ ," the smaller youkai sneered, "We're not done here." Sesshomaru paused, watching Noru with extreme distaste in his eyes.

Sesshomaru's lip curled in disgust, "Is that so, mutt?" Lifting his hand, Sesshomaru studied the nails of his right hand as though they were the most interesting thing he had ever seen, "Well, I suppose if you insist...You _are_ a disgrace to your race, so...I suppose I can be the one who puts you down." As he spoke, an evil grimace spread across Sesshomaru's face as his voice lowered to a growl and his face slowly elongated and his skin slowly turned to fur. Noru laughed and began to transform as well.

Rin set her jaw and made to dash around Moshiro, towards her beloved mate, but Moshiro was faster. Faster than the beat of a hummingbird's wings, he brought his hands up and pointed them at Rin, the knife that was still embedded in his shoulder shifting and sending new streams of blood down Moshiro's back. Shadows from all over the room converged and flung themselves at her. Rin's eyes went wide as she saw the wall of darkness hurtling at her; she would have screamed, but the moment the shadows struck her, the breath was sucked from her lungs. It was as though she had landed chest-first in the water after plunging from a high cliff. Rin's eyes watered as she gasped desperately for air, even as she began to crawl away from the now-advancing Moshiro.

The shadow-demon's eyes were far beyond madness as an insane cackle burst from his lips, "Did you think you could defeat me so easily, Rin!? Clever trick, that...Pretending that Ayame was your lover. Very clever. I would have figured it out eventually, though; you're not exactly a good actor. I knew you hated me from the very beginning. I figured you'd try to kill me eventually – I should have known you had forsaken your mate too easily. I will never believe a word you say again. However...You _did_ swear an oath to me." Moshiro smiled nastily, "And I fully plan to make you uphold that oath. _You_ belong to _me_ now. All other bets are off. You are _mine_ , to do with as I please." Rin felt a thrill of fear at the gleeful look in the shadow-demon's eyes. Moshiro giggled, "Oh, we are going to have _so_ much fun! I gave you the chance to stand by my side and rule over _everything_! And how do you repay me? You spit in my eye and _betray_ me! This calls for a most _special_ kind of punishment."

From across the room, Sesshomaru roared with rage and fear as a great shadowy dome raised itself around Moshiro and Rin, cutting them off from the others even as Sesshomaru knocked Noru to the side and lunged at the semi-translucent barrier. He made contact, and for a second it seemed that he might break through, but suddenly – like an accordion – he crumpled against the barrier as it flickered and ultimately held. Moshiro laughed madly, keeping eye contact with the furious youkai as he wound shadowy chains round Rin, lifting her in the air and keeping her still. Sesshomaru growled deep in his throat as Moshiro slowly advanced on the captive Rin

"You see? _No one_ escapes me, if I do not desire them to. Now, you will watch and see what becomes of those who cross me. You are going to watch, Sesshomaru, and know that there is _nothing_ you can do to help her." Moshiro smiled, "Oh, the sweet scent of fear. Who knew that the fear of a _pure_ demon would be even more wonderful than that of your half-breed brother? I'll be sure to savor this, then." Moshiro reached with one hand and grasped the dagger that was still lodged in his shoulder, yanking it free with a sharp tug, smiling with ecstasy as the knife tore free of his flesh and muscle. All at once, his expression softened into one of breathless expectation, as though it were his wedding night, and he were finally alone with his bride. Holding the now-dislodged and dripping knife carefully by the handle, Moshiro watched as beads of black blood dripped off of the blade and splattered on the floor. He glanced back at Rin with a lover-like expression for a moment before flicking his hand forward, the blade still in his hand.

Rin flinched, expecting the sharp bite of the dagger, but it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw that the blade had never left Moshiro's hand. Glancing down, she saw that a long line of blood-droplets had landed on her skin and what there was of her kimono. For a moment, she began to smile and taunt the shadow-demon, but as she opened her mouth to insult him, an odd stench caught her nostrils: t was the smell of burning clothing. Glancing down again, she saw that where Moshiro's blood had touched her clothes, the clothing was being slowly eaten away, leaving behind smoking gaps, exposing more of her skin. Rin paled and shook her head desperately, "No. No, didn't...Didn't I serve you well? Didn't I do all that you asked?"

Moshiro giggled his high-pitched, mad giggle, "Yes, yes. All but one. You never did let me see... _more_ of you, did you?"

Rin struggled feebly against the shadow-chains, "But..But we had a deal."  
Moshiro grinned hugely, "Did we? No, I don't think we did. I saw something I could use for my advantage, entertainment, and... _pleasure_. That is all." Rin cringed and began to struggle again as Moshiro drew his hand back again, sending more blood droplets at Rin. Again and again he repeated the movement; each time leaving more and more skin exposed until at last, his blood landed on bare skin. Rin bucked as soon as she felt the liquid on her skin. The scent of burning flesh soon wafted throughout the hall. As the acidic fluid began to eat away at the first layer of her skin, Rin thrashed madly, refusing to allow a single sound to escape her lips. Moshiro narrowed her eyes at her stubbornness and repeated the movement three more times; still, she made no sound. "So. We have a difficult one, do we," came Moshiro's voice in a soft, cheerful whisper. "No matter." Moshiro plunged the knife back into the wound it had made in his shoulder only to draw it out again, fresh blood staining the blade. "Let us see if you remain silent after _this_ ," sneered the demon. Moshiro sauntered close to Rin, drawing a finger across her bare belly and up towards her breasts, eliciting a furious snarl from Sesshoamru. Smiling, Moshiro addressed the youkai, "Oh, if you think you want me dead _now_ , just wait until the next act." With that comment, Moshiro took the freshly-stained blade and smeared the blood across Rin's bare stomach, laughing as she bucked madly, writhing with terrible pain. At last, a terrible, rending scream was torn from Rin's lips, reverberating through the hall and drawing many conflicts to a halt. Rin's friends and mate stared in horror as the acid ate through her skin and began to sink into her muscle. The deeper the poison went, the louder Rin screamed and the wilder Sesshomaru's eyes became.

At last, it seemed that the youkai could no longer contain his emotions in the body of the wolf and reverted to his human form, beating his body against the shadow barrier again and again until Inuysaha hurried to his side and grasped him firmly, "You'll do her no good if you kill yourself on that thing," Inuyasha whispered in his brother's ear, "We've got to be smarter than he is. We'll get her out, okay?" Sesshomaru slowly calmed before finally he nodded and began to pace the circumference of the dome.

At last, inside the dome, Moshiro's poison was beginning to fade away. "Ah," sighed the demon, "That was a lovely appetizer. Now, I think we'll move on to the main course, don't you, Rin?" Rin's eyes went wide with fear and pain as the shadow-demon drove his fist into the wound caused by the acid, drawing another cry of pain from her. Smiling nastily, Moshiro whispered sensuously to her, "Now...I think I will treat you to something that I save for those who have either failed me utterly or betrayed me in an unforgivable way..." Raising his right hand, Moshiro drew the shadows around the hand until they formed a sharp, angular blade, "Believe me, my dearest Rin. The previous demonstration of my power is _nothing_ compared to what you are about to experience."

Slowly, Moshrio drew the shadow-blade across Rin's chest, leaving a long, shallow cut where it passed. As Rin's skin parted before the blade, the shadows began to slowly sink into the wound as tiny veins of black began to spread from the wound throughout her body. Her body bowed suddenly back so sharply that Inuyasha feared she may snap her spine, a look of blind, horrified pain on her face. As the veins reached Rin's eyes, it seemed like black ink began to seep into her eyes, slowly dying them black. The moment that all color had vanished from Rin's eyes, she sagged suddenly for a moment before another scream, more terrible than any sound that had come from her before, burst from her, tearing her throat and bursting blood vessels in her eyes. It felt like her blood was boiling. Just when Rin felt she could take no more, the small amount of light she could see through the shadows faded and she knew no more, though it seemed to her that there was a voice calling to her. She wished she could answer, but she had not the strength.

***Author's Note***

No worries, no worries. Rin's White Knight (as it were) will be coming very, very soon. I almost feel sorry for Moshiro once it does... _Almost_. Hope you all liked the chapter! There will be another soon! Thanks for reading; lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	26. Chapter 26

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon, dear people! I know, I know. I've slacked big time on this story. I'm sorry. However...i hope the wait has been worth it, because I can finally say...this will be the final chapter. I hope you've enjoyed our little journey together, and those who read the previous version, I hope you've enjoyed the rewrite! I truly enjoyed writing this story, and I hope y'all enjoyed reading it. I have to give a HUGE thanks to Rin Taiso, to whose constant nagging and pleading is owed the end of this story. Also, thanks to her for giving me ideas to break through my writer's block and for introducing me to the heartbreaking Holy Pearl, which gave me some ideas on the end of this story. Well, I won't yammer on any longer; enjoy!

***End Note***

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood outside the dome, staring in shock as an unearthly wail was torn from Rin's chest. For a moment, there was complete stillness in the hall, save for Rin's writhing before Sesshomaru flung himself at the barrier, screaming for his beloved mate. Again, Inuyasha took his brother by the elbow and held him fast, " _Wait_. If you keep this up, you're going to kill yourself."

Sesshomaru wheeled on his brother, his eyes red, "And what would you have me do," he snarled viciously, "Stand by while he kills her!?"

Inuyasha grimaced, "No. But I think we can break through the barrier, if we work together."

Stunned into silence, Sesshomaru stared from his brother, to the barrier, and back again. "If you think so, then let's try."

Inuyasha nodded once, then motioned for Kagome to help. She rushed over, and the three of them together began sending attacks, one after the other, at the barrier. For a long time, nothing happened while Moshiro continued to "play" with Rin. At long last, they felt it weaken, "Alright; I think once more, all together and it should come down," bellowed Inuyasha. Kagome and Sesshomaru nodded, launched one final attack, and – just as predicted – down came the barrier.

Moshiro paused with one arm raised about his head, as though he had been poised to strike the final blow, "Well, well, well," he purred in his oily voice, "It seems that you do want to challenge me, after all... _Lord_ Sesshomaru. We shall see who is the most powerful _Lord_ today, won't we?"

Sesshoamru half-smiled at the shadow-demon, "Yes. I believe that we shall. Be careful, Moshiro. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Moshiro cackled madly, "No idea? _No idea_? No, boy. It is you who has no idea what I am capable of." As he spoke, he raised his arms out to the sides. All at once, the room grew suddenly dark, and the darkness seemed to grow heavy, pressing on Sesshomaru and making his limbs shake with the added weight. Snarling, Sesshomaru's face slowly began to elongate, and before long he was standing in his natural form, snarling and snapping at Moshiro. Rather than growing concerned, however, Moshiro only chuckled, "You think you're the only one who can do that?" As he continued to laugh, Moshiro's voice deepened and his body grew thicker, longer, and darker. His face began to extend and his hands curled into claws, until where once Moshiro stood, there was an enormous, shadowy monster in his place. He had enormous, powerful-looking arms with vicious claws for hands. His mouth held lines of razor-sharp teeth behind which hid a sickly-looking black tongue that kept protruding obscenely from behind the sanctuary of teeth. His eyes had slanted and elongated, granting his face the overall appearance of a massive, vicious lizard, and his hair had sprouted forth, hanging in oily cords around his chest and back. His back had bent, and a long line of spikes had burst forth, following the spine. A tail had protruded from the end of his tailbone, swinging this way and that – crashing into the ground with such strength that the pavement cracked and splintered. His torso remained slim, but powerful and his legs had thickened and bent in the wrong direction at the knee, like a dog's. Overall, the change was sudden and horrifying. "Now, you see my true form," came an deep, oily voice from the creature's chest. It was difficult to describe Moshiro's voice in this new form, but it left one with the odd impression that they were conversing with a volcano.

Sesshomaru, however, did not seem impressed. With his usual arrogance, he rolled his massive shoulders and barked a challenge at the shadow-demon. Moshiro chuckled as Sesshomaru lunged for him, sinking his massive teeth into Moshiro's arm, causing the demon to roar with pain and rage. The demon brought his hands forward, and a blast of dark, shadowy energies burst forth and caught Sesshomaru in his side, surprising a whimper out of him. Growling, Sesshoamru lifted himself onto all fours again and shook out his fur. Crouching low, he stalked around to Moshiro's back and lunged for the demon's legs.

As the battle between Sesshomaru and Moshiro raged on, the onlookers mostly just tried to stay out of their way, what with massive feet, paws, and tails flying everywhere. Inuyasha stood watching for a moment before dashing around the fight and heading straight for Rin, who had been utterly forgotten by Moshiro and left to bleed on the floor. Removing his Fire Rat robe, Inuyasha wrapped it gently around his sister-in-law and lifted her tiny body in his arms, shocked when he heard a faint heartbeat in her chest, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings. At once, he spun on his heel and sprinted towards Kagome, grabbing her with one arm and holding Rin steady with the other, carrying them both out of harm's way and heading directly for Miroku. "She's alive! I'm not sure how, but she is. I can hear her heartbeat. Out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw his brother's ear twitch in his direction, though his attention remained on the fight. Inuyasha continued, "We need to save her. I'm not sure what that bastard did to her, but we have to keep her alive until we can get her to Kaede."

Miroku nodded, "Okay. I think we can probably work something out."

Kagome sighed, "I'll try to purify her; maybe that would help?"

Inuyasha smiled at the little family he had built with his friends and drew Tetsuaiga and dove into the fray. He wove around his brother's movements like liquid, hacking and slashing where he thought it would do the most good. At last, Tetsuaiga bit deeply into Moshiro's leg, causing him to roar with pain and fall to his knees. Massive rivers of acidic blood ran, causing Inuyasha to leap out of the way. Sesshoamru barked out a laugh and lunged for Moshiro's throat. Latching his teeth into the beast's jugular, Sesshomaru scrambled over Moshiro's back and _pulled_ , leaving massive tears at the neck, where more acid blood rained down onto the stone beneath their feet.

All at once, it seemed that Moshiro began to shrink back to his normal self, blood streaming from his neck, sides, arms, and legs. Black rivers ran down his limbs as they trembled and black bubbles formed at Moshiro's lips as he spoke, "You think this will be enough to end me?" A mad, gurgling laugh bubbled is his chest as he choked, "I will never die. This will not end me; I will simply melt away and hide in the shadows again until I am ready to face you."

Sesshoamru shrank back into his human form as well, a cold smile on his lips and his robes dyed red with his own blood, "I think that you are forgetting something," the youkai hissed, "We know your greatest weakness. Without warning, from behind Sesshomaru a great beam of blinding white light exploded, catching Moshiro dead in the face. Where the light touched, the shadow-demon's skin puckered and hissed, cracking and crumbling like so much old parchment. A high-pitched keen came from Moshiro's throat as his back arched and his hands hooked into claws, every muscle in his system rebelling against the pain and knowledge that death was near. Inuyasha stepped forward to cut the demon down with one final stroke, but Sesshomaru stopped him. "Let him scream a bit more. Let him truly grasp the inevitability of his impeding death." Moshiro's eyes went impossibly wide at Sesshomaru's words. A mad stream of curses and threats streamed from his mouth even as he continued to scream. The name "Rin" passed his lips, and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. Quick as a snake's strike, Sesshomaru's sword sung through the air and bit into Moshiro's neck, the head wobbling for a moment, then tumbling uselessly to the floor where the eyes continued to roll madly until all residual brain function had ceased and the eyes finally stilled. The body steamed for a moment, still bathed in the bright light before it turned to ash and fluttered away on the air, like leaves in a fall breeze.

Three Months Later

It had taken every ounce of Kaede's knowledge and skill, not to mention countless sleepless nights and constant aid from Kagome and Miroku, but at long last, Rin was declared out of danger. Sesshomaru had vanished for a few days after they had rescued Rin. He'd returned drenched in blood, and would say nothing as to his activities, though the black wolf's hide that he wore as a cloak left little left in the way of questions for those who knew him best. Rin was finally allowed to walk around the village, though Sesshomaru would not allow her to walk quickly, and he would sweep her feet out from under her and carry her in his arms if she so much as paled, or her hand trembled. He said nothing, and his face gave away no emotions, but to those who witnessed it, it was clear that his concern for her was profound. Inuyasha had never quite understood what it was between his brother and Rin, but after watching Sesshomaru over the last three months sitting silently by Rin's bedside, and helping her tenderly through the village, he was beginning to.

It was on a pleasant afternoon, watching another of Rin's slow walks that Kagome came quietly behind her mate and wound her arms tenderly around his waist, resting her cheek on his broad back, "We did it," she whispered, "We managed to keep our family together against all the odds."

Inuyasha smiled, "Yeah. I'm still not really sure how we pulled it off, but Moshiro's dead, Noru's furless corpse is probably rotting at the bottom of some canyon, and Rin is on the mend. I cant believe we pulled it off."

Kagome giggled, "Well...There's one more thing you won't believe," she teased as she stood on her tiptoes ad whispered in his ear. Across the village square, Sesshomaru's ears twitched in their direction and a minuscule smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as Inuyasha's ears pinned down flat against his head, and jumped a foot in the air before spinning around and landing in a manner that so resembled a cat that Kagome could not hold back the laughter that rang through the village as Inuyasha bellowed, "HOW CAN YOU BE PREGNANT AGAIN!?"

Chuckles broke out all over the village at the sound of the shout and even Sesshomaru smiled before he bent to whisper in his own mate's ear. Whatever it was that he said caused Rin to flush a brilliant red as Sesshomaru lifted her easily in his arms before turning and striding quickly back to the little hut they had been given until Rin was well enough to travel. The pair vanished inside, and no one saw them again for the remainder of the day.

Kaede stood on a hillside, watching the scene and the various ways that love showed itself. She smiled to herself and whispered, "You would have enjoyed this day, sister." She sighed sadly for a moment before smiling again and whispering "All is as it should be once more," before walking slowly down the hill to her own hut.

The End

***Author's Note***

Phew! Well, that was a bit of a doozy; I hope everybody enjoyed the last chapter! It was quite a bit of fun to write; hope you liked the surprise at the end, there! Thanks for reading, as always my dears! Next, I'll be writing a Firefly fanfic which I hope you'll enjoy. Lots of love!

\- Lady Darkwind


	27. Epilogue

***Author's Note***

Good evening, my lovelies! The following is an epilogue that was mostly written by Rin Taiso and edited by myself. I truly hope that you enjoy this as much as I did! Please give your best well wishes in the comments section below! Enjoy!

***End Note***

 **Epilogue:**

 **Shippo's Rage**

A few days after Kagome's pregnancy announcement, the village was fairly quiet as everyone went on with their daily routines. Shippo had grown since the incident with Moshiro, so he was left watching over Sango and Miroku's children while they went on mission in a nearby village. Just now, he was having a bit of difficulty getting the twins to settle down and eat some of the leftover food Miroku had left for Shippo to give them. "Come on, you two! It's not that bad; just take a few bites," Shippo pleaded. Shiona shook her head, "NO! I won't! I won't! It's gross, I won't eat it!" She shoved the bowl away angrily and started to run off with her sister following suit. Shippo growled and chased after them down the hill and all around the village trying desperately to catch them; many villagers paused in their activities to watch with great amusement.

Nearby in the village, Sesshomaru was taking Rin on another of their slow walks; he was talking to her quietly and making sure she wasn't weakening or going through any pain. Secretly, she hid the fact that there was a pain across the scar on her chest where Moshiro had cut her, and her legs wanted to give out – but she was able to handle it, so she frequently reassured him that she was alright and took his hand tightly while he squeezed her small hand gently in return. As they continued their peaceful walk, the sound of little feet came charging up behind them and Shippo saw to his horror that the girls were running straight for Rin. He started panicking for her sake as well as for what Sesshomaru's reaction would be if they ran into her. He cried out, "Rin look out!" as he sped up. Shiona was about to run into Rin's legs, as she couldn't stop her speed.

Sesshomaru spun around just in time to see Shiona running and pulled Rin off her feet, safely out of the way, he growled angrily but Shippo finally caught Shiona's arm and pulled her to a stop. He stared, aghast, at Sesshomaru and grabbed Yuri's arm as she tried to dash past her sister, "I'm so sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. Rin, you too; are you okay?" Rin nodded, but her face had paled drastically from the rush. Sesshomaru glared and was about to say something when Shippo turned angrily towards the girls, "WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT RUNNING OFF AND MAKING A SCENE!?" He shouted, "I told you specifically not to go near Rin and Sesshomaru when they're walking, and so did your parents. Why is it that every time I'm the one babysitting you, you two find a way to cause me trouble?"

The two girls looked down ashamed, but Shippo wasn't finished, "I am DONE. I'm done being the babysitter, I'm taking you to Inuyasha's hut and he can watch you two." He said the last bit with a smirk. The girls' heads shot up instantly, "No! We don't wanna go with Inuyasha! He's mean and cranky and never lets us do _anything_!" Yuri whined. Shippo growled viciously and burst into fox fire. His power had increased drastically in comparison to years before, and now it spiralled menacingly around him making the girls scream in fear. "I don't care if you don't like him! He gets the job done since you refuse to listen to me!" He shouted, his voice more of a rasping hiss than his usual nasally voice. The flames died down as he shook his head, "I'm a demon. I don't have to put up with this. I shouldn't have to waste my time with you two; what I _should_ be doing is training to increase my demonic power. Now, let's go." He started pulling them away towards Inuyasha's hut as they struggled to loosen his grip.

Sesshomaru looked quite surprised at the little fox's temper and looked to Rin, "Well I certainly didn't expect that from the kitsune. Are you alright Rin?" He saw how pale she was and began to worry, but she held up a hand to silence him, "I am fine. The rush just surprised me and made me lightheaded. I've never seen Shippo so upset about anything," she chuckled. "I almost feel sorry for the girls, but he's right. The twins always cause so much trouble." She rested her head against Sesshomaru's chest sighing peacefully. "Shippo's changed so much, but he's still the kind little fox I knew when I was a child."

"It's about time he started standing up for himself. As a demon, Shippo must build up his abilities and strength, he cannot allow anyone to just simply walk over him. Otherwise demons and humans alike will not respect him. Not that it concerns me." Sesshomaru said simply and with no emotion as he turned and walked back towards the hut they shared. "You must rest now. I'll bring some food once you are comfortable."

The day passed without further disturbances and when Miroku and Sango returned to reclaim their children from Inuyasha; the pair went icily silent as Sango learned why the twins were not with Shippo, as they had left them. She brought them home without as much of a word until they were inside, where she scolded them harshly for their behavior.

Over at Sesshomaru and Rin's place, the pair had been enjoying a rare quiet afternoon without children running around underfoot; young Kagome and Momoko had gone running out side to play shortly after Sesshomaru and Rin had returned from their walk. Now, however, it was nearly dusk and Sesshomaru and Rin had joined Inuyasha and the elder Kagome for dinner. The two women were talking happily about Rin's pregnancy while the men remained silent. The darker it grew, the more Sesshomaru was starting to question his daughter and niece's whereabouts. He was about to bring it up when Inuyasha beat him to the punch. "Hey; aren't the girls supposed to be back by now? I called for them earlier but they haven't shown up." His brother nodded his head his face wearing an expression that clearly said he was just as concerned. Inuyasha frowned and looked to Kagome, "You haven't seen the girls, have you? Supper is ready and we both know their eating habits. Isn't it strange that they aren't here yet?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I haven't. Last time I saw the two they were playing together with Ah-Un watching them, but not too long ago I saw Ah-Un by the river without them. I hope they're alright; maybe we should go check on them. It _is_ getting awfully dark." Kagome looked outside with concern, noticing how agitated Inuyasha was - she knew full well what night it was.

Inuyasha nodded, narrowing his eyes as he stood. "Right; you ladies stay here. I'll be back." Inuyasha rushed out of the hut toward the river. Sesshomaru stood and followed suit without a word, but shot a reassuring look to Rin before he left and followed Inuyasha. His brother glanced at him, clearly surprised and cautious. "What're you following me for?"

The demon narrowed his golden eyes, "Isn't it obvious? Looking for my daughter and niece. It was so easily apparent that it really should have crossed your mind, simple though it is." Inuyasha frowned slightly in irritation but only nodded and kept walking in silence, sniffing the air for the girls' scents.

 **Epilogue:**

 **The Family Burden**

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha walked into the forest where Inuyasha had been pinned to the tree of ages so many years ago; the girls often liked to play hide and chase around this area. Sesshomaru sniffed the air subtly, unlike Inuyasha who crouched and looked more dog-like when he did it. "They were here not too long ago, but it appears they've gotten adventurous and gone further out of the village," he deduced.  
Inuyasha paused and rested a hand on the tree, remembering the incident that had occurred between him and Kikyo and the trouble that followed, a fatherly frown of worry creasing his brow. "Damn. I told Momoko not to wander past this tree. She's starting to be more rebellious nowadays - I blame her mother for that." He chuckled slightly.

"Her stubbornness however, comes from you." Sesshomaru smirked and pushed forward. "Don't just stand there staring at that tree, we must continue. Your warning to your daughter was not unwarranted; there are many demons outside these forests that would love to kill two young half-demons. _Especially_ children sired by us."

Inuyasha, keeping an eye on the descending sun, nodded and caught up quickly. They walked in silence for about another ten minutes until Inuyasha spoke up quietly, "So...does this mean we can at least get along now? I mean you helped me find my wife after I thought she had died - for that I am extremely grateful. And think about it; we _do_ fight well together when we're not trying to kill one another." Sesshomaru's eyes twitched slightly at the insinuation. He wasn't sure what he should say to his brother, but Inuyasha cut back in before he had the chance to make up his mind. "Look; I'm not saying we have to be all close and loving, but we should at least get along. As in talking to each other without ripping each others' throats out and have an actual conversation, and being more comfortable with visits – stuff like that. I would like to see my niece more often, you know. I kinda like the kid. And besides; Momoko has taken to her like a sister."

Sesshomaru looked at his brother in surprise, "You're being serious about this." He looked ahead quietly for a moment before continuing. "I suppose this is what Father would want of us as well. And my Kagome _does_ seem fond of her uncle though there is no accounting for taste," he added with a smirk and a glimmer in his eye. Sesshomaru walked on in silence, thinking about what Inuyasha had said. A few long moments passed until he spoke up again, "The proposal isn't entirely unwelcome." Try though Inuyasah might, Sesshomaru said nothing further after that.

Even through his silence however, Inuyasha understood what his brother meant. He smiled slightly but the good mood was ended abruptly by a sudden ear-piercing scream. The two froze in their tracks listening for anything; there was a sound of movement, like something had fallen from the trees. "You don't think…" Inuyasha asked uncertainly, already knowing the answer. Sesshomaru nodded, his face etched with worry for his daughter. As he began to sprint towards the sound, another scream echoed through the woods as Inuyasha followed suit.

The two ran as fast as they could; Sesshomaru, being capable of greater speeds, had already burst through the trees and into a small clearing with massive trees surrounding them. He could see little Kagome laying on the ground looking scared, but she did not cry; Momoko was nowhere to be seen. To make matters worse, the sun had gone down now – night taking its place with the new moon of the lunar month. As it happened every month, Inuyasha's silver hair turned black, his dog ears disappeared, and all his demonic power vanished leaving him as nothing more than an ordinary human. But that didn't stop him from following after his brother to find his beloved daughter.

The youkai walked closer to his young daughter, "Kagome," he called out softly. She didn't look up as if she didn't even hear him so he called out again louder. "Kagome look at me, what's happened?" Kagome looked up at last, hearing him. She looked relieved to see him but terror filled her eyes, "Papa! Papa I'm scared. We got lost, then something…" she stood up shakily. Inuyasha burst through the trees, finally having caught up but he stayed behind his brother given his current state of being.

"Kagome, where is Momoko? Why is she not with you?" he demanded.

She stopped where she was and looked surprised, "Uncle Inuyasha, what's wrong with you? Where are your ears? And what happened to your hair?" she inquired, causing Sesshomaru to frown and turn around to see what she was talking about.

His eyes fell onto Inuyasha, and his usual calm, expressionless demeanor turned to astonishment. "So, the rumors are true," he deduced, supressing a chuckle. "I heard that half-demons lose their power on a certain time of the month. I knew Naraku had his moments of weakness. So now…you are human?"

Inuyasha growled, "Shut up. I still look better than you. Yes, I'm a human. It happens on the first night of the month - the night of the new moon. It happens to all half-demons."

Sesshomaru cocked his head in interest, "Huh. Twice as bad tempered as well," Sesshomaru muttered.

Kagome looked confused, "Huh? He's human now? So, he lost all his power, and that's gonna happen to me, too?" She looked worried, but Sesshomaru shook his head. "No, Kagome. You would have done so already if that were the case. Tonight is Inuyasha's night of wea-" he cut himself short, glancing at his brother as he changed what he was going to say mid-word. "It's the night when he turns human. You will experience it in your own time."

Inuyasha growled again, "Can we get to the point? We can talk about this later; right now, I want to know where my daughter is. Why is she not here?" he asked again impatiently.

"I-I don't know; that's the problem. We were playing around the tree and I wanted to go further but she told me it was a bad idea and that we shouldn't. I didn't listen and ran off. She came chasing after me and when I came through to this spot she caught me. But then she said she heard something weird and got suspicious and ran off into the forest. It seemed like something lured Momoko away." The air stood still, as if time had stopped.

Inuyasha sucked in a breath, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. "Did you happen to see anything? Didn't you hear it, too?"

Inuyasha looked confused and suspicious but she shook her head, "I…I don't know. I didn't get a good look. I heard a scary sound then she was gone. I'm not sure what she heard or what she thought it was. I went to go look for her but then something pushed me back here, like a big blow that threw me."

She looked around the trees as if something was watching, but before Inuyasha could question her again, Sesshomaru cut him off. "We will find her, Inuyasha. But right now, my daughter is frightened, and something is hunting her." He began to walk towards her but just before he could reach her, a burst of energy flashed in front him and Kagome; his silver-white hair whipping around him as he shielded his eyes. She screamed as she was blasted back. When the light cleared, the trees surrounding them had been ripped back, and separating Kagome from her father was a glowing red barrier.

 **Epilogue:**

 **The Half-Demon's Becoming**

Sesshomaru eyes narrowed and he growled, "what is the meaning of this? Kagome, are you alright?"  
The girl was curled up shaking violently, she was crying now, "I'm sorry…papa. I should've listened. I'm so stupid, now Momoko's gonna die because of me!" Inuyasha glared at the sight of the barrier and ran towards her but the barrier blasted him back, "Damn! It's a barrier, alright. I'm human now so I can't even use Tetsaiga to cut through!" He snarled, his brown eyes blazing – but nothing matched the furious look on his brother's face. Sesshomaru's golden eyes burned red, his marks jagged across his cheeks. He drew his light whip and tried to slash through the offensive red light, but it had no affect. He yearned to draw Bakusaiga but that would risk Kagome's, and possibly Momoko's, life in the process.

Kagome scrambled towards the barrier, tears streaming down her face, "Stay where you are. Don't come any closer," her father ordered, his eyes gold again so he didn't scare her. "If you touch it, you will be harmed." She nodded and stayed away. She looked around, but she could see no way out; the barrier cut her off from her family and it circled around in domelike shape through the woods. "Papa, what do I do? I can't see a way out."

He knelt to be eye level with her, an unfamiliar look of fatherly concern etched into his face, "Kagome, think. Do not be afraid; fear will only consume you and render you unable to focus. Every barrier has a weakness, so you must find it. We will get you out, but you must be calm and clear headed. You are, after all, my daughter."

Kagome beamed at her father's words and wiped away her tears, standing straight and proud like he always did, nodding earnestly, "Mmhmm, you're right. I'll find a way," she stopped to think for an idea then gasped, "There might be a weak point on the further side of the dome. I'll go look; maybe I'll find Momoko too." He nodded and watched her go off as he began to make his way around the dome.

Crossing through the center of the field, the ground began to rumble violently, and the trees creaked and groaned. Something big was coming her way. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha snarled at the sound of the impeding threat, unable to rush to her aid. Kagome looked scared, but she tried to increase her speed. She needed to find a way out – the ground shook her balance, causing her to stumble. From the trees, an ear-splitting screech filled the air as a huge scorpion-like demon emerged, its massive pinchers snapping full-grown trees in half and its glowing red eyes focused straight on the little half demon as it screeched again, slowly scampering its way towards her. It cast out dark shadows that snaked their way towards Kagome, but she pulled herself off the ground and leapt out of the way landing farther back, "N-nice scorpion…I'm just gonna go that way and you can just leave me alone…" she yelped, leaping out of the way again and started running across the field away from it as it lunged at her with its claws. It chased her and whipped its tail, shooting out blasts of poison that formed pools of acid where her feet once stood as she weaved clumsily between strikes, yelping each time one hit close.

She was doing well, but just as she reached the forest she misplaced her footing and the acid hit her leg. She screamed and fell onto her face as the acid burned her skin. The demon screeched triumphantly and Sesshomaru began to panic, hitting at the barrier trying to get in, to no avail. Kagome turned over, scared, as the scorpion stalked its way nearer to her. She tried to get up, but her leg was in too much pain. The scorpion-demon stopped just before her and prepared to strike with its spear-like stinger while Sesshomaru and Inuyasha could only watch in horror. Just as it prepared to strike, rapid footsteps rushed towards it and caught the demon's attention to the right; away from the dog-demons just as the figure knocked it back, away from Kagome. It hissed as it stumbled through its own pools of acid, stirring up smoke and dust as it looked for its assailant.

When the dust cleared, where the demon once stood was Momoko standing in front of Kagome. Her claws were bared and her expression furious and snarling, her stance defensive. "STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU STUPID INSECT!" she shouted angrily, her yukata and her hair covered in blood.

Inuyasha gasped and stepped forward, "Momoko! You ok? What happen-" he called out but was cut off by the scorpion's screech. It was louder and fiercer than before, the thing turned its burning eyes on Momoko now and charged at her. The older girl, however, did not back down. Instead, she ran right for it and grabbed its massive pincher as it made to grab her, using it as leverage to lift herself up and kick off from it, which caused the demon to stumble. She soared up over its armored head with perfect control, slashing at it with her claws, but it made no scratch. She flipped through the air and landed safely on the ground behind and ran off, away from Kagome, to draw the scorpion away from the younger child. "Over here, ugly! I'm the one you want." When she was far enough she skidded to a halt and turned to face the beast.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha could only watch in shock as she fought; Inuyasha's mouth hung hopen in amazement, "She's….She's holding it off all on her own. That's my kid!" he exclaimed with a fierce look of pride in his face.

"She's doing quite impressively as well; she managed to lure it away from Kagome." Sesshomaru admitted, watching the fight take place, but his eyes strayed to his daughter, checking if she had moved from that spot. Kagome was standing up now and moving slowly backward while watching Momoko fight with admiration, but it was too soon to celebrate. The scorpion youkai hadn't forgotten about her and decided to play a trick on Momoko. It swiped its huge stinger at Momoko to sweep her off her feet, forcing her to leap back. As she did so, it spun around and scuttled back towards Kagome, who yelped and froze in terror at the creepy crawler.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE, STUPID! RUN!" Momoko screamed at Kagome as Momoko recovered from the scorpion's attack. She scanned the situation quickly, looking for a way to keep it from getting to Kagome, but Momoko knew she was too far away. Suddenly in her desperation, she felt a warm glow in her hands and she smiled. She had been practicing in private to hone her demonic powers, but had been having difficulties; due to the desperation to save her cousin now, they bent to her will at last. A blinding white blast of power burst from her hands and blasted the scorpion back; it didn't cause too much damage, though it did gouge a decent gash across its back. It shrieked and turned back to her, its eyes burning in seething rage as it charged her again. But Momoko just smirked, readied her claws, and swiped in a horizontal slicing manner, sending daggers of light to shoot at blinding speed towards the demon, "If you wanna fight, fight me. I'll kill you like I did your friend back there." Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both watched in shock, especially Inuyasha. He'd never seen or known that she had been discovering her powers and he felt a surge of pride swell up in his chest. "She…how long has she been able to do that? Holy crap, kid; I've never seen anything like it." He stammered, Sesshomaru remained silent but he realized how similar her ability was to his light whip and was amused by this; he'd have to mention this to Inuyasha later, perhaps.

Big Ugly stopped and Momoko sneered, "That's right. That master of yours who lured me away to eat me? I killed him. It was easy really." She gave a harsh laugh that made even Inuyasha nervous.

"Momoko…what?"

The older girl heard and looked towards her father quickly, "Why else would I be covered in blood?" she asked slyly, as if the answer should have been obvious. Inuyasha wanted to comment but Sesshomaru held him back, "Do not distract her in the midst of the fight. We can discuss this later; right now, their lives are at stake." He was correct, because at just that moment the scorpion hissed and charged again, its mouth foaming and pinchers at the ready; though even Sesshomaru himself was slightly put off about her change in character.

"Oh, what? Did I make you mad?" Momoko smirked – not moving from where she stood though it was closing in on her swiftly – a chilling glint in her eyes, "Come get me then, if you're so tough! At least you put up a better fight than he did!" She laughed again then spun around and ran off towards the barrier – but not too close; she knew what would happen if she got too close; she wanted to trick it into ramming into its own barrier. The ground thundered as the arachnid rushed her, it took in how close she was to his barrier and launched a rapid-fire attack of acidic poison at her; forcing her to dodge the pools of acid until she was corned between the demon and the barrier.

Momoko started to panic; she was tired from the use of her powers and was pinned between the barrier that would shock her and the approaching death that was an overgrown bug. The beast's mouth was foaming and its eyes burning red, and its razor-sharp pinchers stretched open as it stabbed its tail down at her feet one last time, forcing her to jump backwards - right into the barrier. She screamed as the barrier sent powerful shocks throughout her body until she fell to the ground in a crumpled heap; the shock wasn't enough to kill her, but it stunned her long enough for the scorpion to finally make the killer blow. Big Ugly lunged at her with its powerful claws to snap her in half, but seconds before it could hit its target, a scream filled the air that wasn't Momoko.

"NO!" Little Kagome leaped in front of her injured cousin, taking Momoko's place – _inside_ the scorpion's claws. She gagged and choked as it started to squeeze her midriff. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in panic and he ran at the barrier, slashing desperately at the offending impediment to get to his daughter. He'd nearly lost Rin to Moshiro's torture, he couldn't let the same happen to his precious daughter, "Kagome, hold on! I'm coming!" Inuyasha tried as well, wishing now more than ever that he was in his normal state so he could use the Tetsaiga, but his efforts were in vain. The demon hissed in triumph and squeezed harder than ever. Kagome screamed until they were faded to strangled gurgles; blood now spurting out of her mouth as she was crushed. The poor child shuddered in pain and was beginning to lose consciousness as the arachnid continued to apply more and more pressure.

"Papa…help..." she croaked, blood dripping down her lips; her upper torso folded over limp against the pincers, as she was nearly cut in half now – the only thing keeping her alive was the demonic healing powers she had inherited from her father. Momoko had been laying cold on the ground during the ordeal, but she began to stir when she smelled the blood; she opened her eyes and lifted her head shakily and her eyes widened in horror at the sight. "N-no! Kagome no!" She tried to stand but she was too shaky. Sesshomaru felt his throat close as he watched his daughter dying and he couldn't do anything about it. "Momoko get up! Save her!" he nearly begged, his eyes burning red in anger and grief.

As he spoke, Kagome began to pulse, no one noticed but Inuyasha. The pulsing began to increase and a new scent filled the air. A scent that was all too familiar to him, "Sesshomaru wait…you smell that too right?"

Sesshomaru glared at his brother, "I smell my dying daughter's blood yes…wait…this smell…" he sniffed again in her direction and saw what Inuyasha saw. "No…no it can't be…" he muttered in disbelief, knowing what was to come having witnessed his brother experience the same transformation. The pulsing rapidly quickened until suddenly, brilliant and violent purple flames erupted around Kagome and engulfed her. Kagome's head twitched up and her eyes shot open – but instead of her adorable golden eyes, they burned crimson red with green irises and four jagged streaks of purple cut down across her cheeks. Kagome spasmodically lifted her upper half from the claws and began to snarl viciously, the flames following her every movement and growing hotter by every second – though they didn't harm her. The scorpion demon, smelling the new change in her blood and appearance, was confused. With her newfound strength and power, little Kagome forced the pincers open and freed herself from their grasp. She slammed the limb down to the ground and used the momentum to leap into the air, flipping over to the rear of the demon. The flames danced around her in a deadly spiral of purple, the grass at her feet died at the touch but did not ignite. "That's...that's hellfire…" Sesshomaru realized, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "That's an extremely rare power; very few demons have ever even seen that."

Inuyasha shook his head, "As impressive as that is, that's not the point Sesshomaru. She's lost control. Who knows what she'll do now. Trust me, when she wakes up the damage she ends up causing will torment her forever. She'll hate what she's become, I know from experience. We have to stop this." Sesshomaru nodded, coming out of his brief reverie narrowing his eyes and opening his mouth to speak, but was stopped by his brother.

"Kagome no! Kagome listen to me now!" Inuyasha called out, much to Sesshomaru's surprise. "Kagome, don't give in to this. Remember who you are, fight it!" He urged but she didn't hear him. She snarled and lunged at the demon's stinger, her razor-sharp claws ripping through the armour-like shell, rendering it useless. The scorpion shrieked in pain as she used her flames to burn through the creature's flesh.

The beast turned to attack, but it didn't stand a chance against the demonic power of Kagome. She leaped into the air and landed in front of it once again, slashing viciously at its left pincer until she ripped its limb off, black blood spurting from the fresh wound. The demon backed away from her, afraid and in pain, but she wasn't going to let it escape. Her father and uncle called out her name, begging her to change back, but they knew it would have no effect. She was uncontrollable and completely murderous. Momoko sat frozen, terrified of her little cousin. Kagome snarled and laughed cruelly as she rained down constant brutal attacks upon the demon, blood spraying everywhere. Finally, as Kagome closed in for the kill, she opened her hand and it glowed venom green like her father's poison claws; the flames receded from her hand but continue to burn around her. She leaped up and with the speed of her descent, she slammed her poisonous claws down into the scorpion's skull, the acidic poison and hellfire burning through its thick shell, killing it once and for all.

Sesshomaru watched in despair and admiration as she battled the demon on her own until it was defeated. Her tactics were just as, and perhaps even more brutal than, Inuyasha's own demonic transformation, making the scorpion's death painful and obsolete. He was proud of that feat in itself, but he despaired for what was to come. He had hoped that this fate would not come to his daughter, but it was foolish to think so. He now knew for certain that his daughter would constantly be in danger of transforming if the situation threatened her life; he understood what his father had felt when he bestowed the Tetsaiga to Inuyasha. He needed a weapon that would contain Kagome's powerful demonic blood, for which he was to blame.

Although the demon lay dead – all over the field – it wasn't over yet; Kagome was still transformed, laughing cruelly and viciously as she looked over the destruction she'd caused. Her claws, hair and kimono were grotesquely splattered with blood. She cackled and doubled over, cruelly revelling in her destruction. Momoko struggled to stand to back away from her, but Kagome heard her trembling. Her attention shot to Momoko sharply like a snake and she grinned, no longer laughing as she prepared to pounce at her but Sesshomaru spoke up, to protect Momoko and and in an attempt to get his daughter back. "Kagome," he said sternly. "This is not who or what you are. Wake up," He stepped towards the barrier but she snarled; a part of her started to resist. She stumbled back from her attack and looked confused. Sesshomaru saw this and felt a rush of hope that she'd return to her normal self. That hope was dashed quickly however; his blood was too powerful for a child to overcome so naturally – she prepared to lunge at Momoko.

Momoko shot to her feet, having finally regained some of her strength and dove out of the way before turning to face Kagome. "Hey; knock it off, stupid!" She growled, standing her ground as Kagome faced her once again, snarling. Kagome rushed her but Momoko simply side-stepped and ducked away from the hellfire that followed, but the flames licked the side of her left arm, burning the flesh causing her to cry out in pain. But still she stood her ground. "Kagome, wake up. It's me kiddo, I'm not gonna hurt you. You're safe, you can snap out of it now." Momoko pleaded in soothing tones despite the burning sensation, holding her burnt arm. Kagome froze for a moment at hearing what her cousin said, but her state of mind wasn't one to be reasoned with.

"Momoko, look out! Get away!" Inuyasha called out, afraid for what might happen to her. Kagome lunged again but this time Momoko was ready for it. As Kagome charged, Momoko leaped into the air and somersaulted over Kagome's head, landing behind her. She held out her palms, this time a soft white glow was emitted and she wrapped her arms around Kagome. The light enveloped the two of them; the hanyou screeched and thrashed against Momoko, trying to break free, but the light seemed to be calming her down and protecting Momoko from the flames.

 **Epilogue:  
Who's Saving Who?**

The brothers watched in silence and amazement at the display. Soon enough, the flames began to dissipate until they disappeared completely, Kagome's eyes returned to their normal golden color and the streaks across her face disappeared. At last, she stopped fighting and fell limp into Momoko's arms; the older hanyou scooped her up in her arms, her face taut with concern. "Hey, kiddo; take it easy. I've got you," she uttered softly. The young girl looked at down at herself taking in the sight of the blood, then scanned the field at all of the destruction and began to tremble. Kogome stared in shock at her hands that were still stained with blood.

"What…what did I do? My head hurts," Kagome whimpered, looking up to Momoko to see the morose look on her face and she started to cry, "Why am I covered in blood? Did I…did I do this?" she asks through sobs, "I did…didn't I." It wasn't a question, she knew it had been her.

"Kagome, listen to me" Sesshomaru called out, "You did it to protect yourself and Momoko. If you hadn't done what you did, that demon would have killed you both. You must learn to forgive yourself." He tried to reassure her, but he knew that his words could only help so much against the internal torment she felt. Inuyasha looked at her with a sad, pitiful look because he knew more than either of them what Kagome was going through and what she was feeling. He might have tried to comfort her, but there was only so much that could be said to help her.

"Kid, that's just a part of you. It happens to me too. I know you feel like you're some sort of monster, but you're not; you're still the same Kagome we all love. We can help control that side of you – I promise we'll be by your side no matter what." He tried anyways, because he remembered how Kagome, Sango and the rest all stood by him, accepted him and comforted him when he transformed; he felt that he was still wanted despite what he was capable of.

Little Kagome looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, "But…uncle Inuyasha…you saw what I did…" She rolled out of Momoko's arms and backed away, hugging her arms around herself, "I just massacred that scorpion…I mean I know papa said it would've killed us…" She shook her head, her ears laid flat against her head in shame. "All I remember is Momoko getting hurt, the demon was gonna kill her but then I tried to push her out of the way and I got caught instead…I remember pain…but then everything went red." She looked at her bloodied hands and shook her head in anger, "Papa…how could you…how could _anyone_ love a monster like me?"

Sesshomaru froze in shock of her words, his once ice-cold heart dropped like a stone in his chest, "No, Kagome; you're not a-" But she was already backing away to run,

"Don't lie, you know I am." As she turned around, but Momoko lunged forward and grabbed her arm, spinning her around and holding her tightly so she couldn't escape.

"Oh, get over yourself, Kagome!" She snapped sharply, startling Kagome with her briskness. "You're not any more a monster than I am. Like my old man said-" She was cut off by an indignant "Hey!" from Inuyasha, but she ignored him and continued. "This happens to half-demons when we're in danger of dying. It could've been me instead had you not stepped in. You saved our lives. It doesn't matter what you did to do it. It was going to kill us, and you defended me when I was at my weakest." Inuyasha was still grumbling but Sesshomaru elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up as Momoko continued softly but sincerely. "Don't you dare try running away from your problems. And don't you dare think you're a monster, because you're not. You're my little cousin and I love you; we all love you, no matter what. Understand?" She pulled Kagome into a tight hug and held her head to her chest, like a mother would her frightened child.

Kagome began to calm. Her crying trembled to a stop and she returned the hug, hiding her face in Momoko's chest, clinging to her tightly. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha watched, mesmerized by Momoko's ability to calm the younger child. "She's…just like her mother" Inuyasha speculated, his eyes beaming with pride and awe. Sesshomaru agreed silently, but now he had to find a way to break the barrier; which for some unknown reason was still in place, despite the scorpion demon's recent – and disturbing – death.

Suddenly, he had an idea and after a few moments' thought he called out, "Momoko!"

Catching her attention, she looked up and towards him, "Yes Sesshomaru-Ojisan? What is it?" "Do you think you'd be able to summon your light power? Perhaps it could disperse this barrier." the older youkai asked.

Momoko's eyes widened at the thought and she nodded, "I will try." She let go of Kagome and stepped back, holding out her hands and tried to summon her power for a third time, but no matter how hard she tried all she got was a flicker; even that effort made her slump forward with exhaustion. She had exerted too much for a novice. She looked at her uncle with ashamed eyes and shook her head, "I'm sorry, Uncle. I can't."

He nodded understandingly, he looked a little irritated, but he tried to think of another way to bring down the barrier. "It's alright, Momoko. You've used too much of your strength already. Just sit and rest with Kagome. We will get you out soon." He looked to his brother, who was still in his human form and looking solemn. "Inuyasha…I suppose we're going to have to wait till morning for you to use Tetsaiga? I would use Bakusaiga but we both know that would be too dangerous; its blast is far more powerful than Tetsaiga and would most likely destroy our own children in the process." Sesshomaru crossed his arms, not liking the idea but knowing it was possibly the only solution, "Tetsaiga has the ability to cut through barriers, so perhaps we should wait until daybreak to-"

Sesshomaru was cut off by his daughter, "I think I could help" Kagome spoke up quietly.

Everyone looked to her with curiosity. Sesshomaru noted how she seemed to be healing slightly but she would still need to be tended to and soon. "How so? What are you thinking, of Kagome?" he asked in a surprisingly kind tone of voice that no one else but Rin had heard. The child stepped forward and walked until she was right in front of the barrier.

"I think I can make it go away." She stopped talking as she held out her hands, keeping her focus on them. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha looked a little confused and were about to ask what was going on when suddenly her hands lit up with purple flames again and they instinctively stepped back with surprise, their eyes wide as the flames burned softly around her hands.

"Kagome? You know how to summon your powers?"Hher father asked in surprise. He watched with pride as she made the flames dance around her fingers.

Kagome nodded sheepishly, sort of in awe of herself, "I didn't know about them until now. I…I remember a bit of what I did during the fight and I remember the flames. So… I just thought if I could think of summoning them again I could do it. I guess it worked." She focused on making the flames bend to her will; the flames twisted and spiralled into a fireball, then she aimed them at the barrier. The purple flames burned hot and spiralled in a line until they hit the barrier. At first, they dispersed and spread along the barrier wall like smoke, then began to burn and eat away at the angry, red energy. The flames crept along in every possible direction; with every inch of their movements, they ate away at the barrier until it was no more.

Exhausted, Kagome closed her palms, withdrawing the flames then instantly collapsed, unconscious. Sesshomaru sprung forward, catching her before she could hit the ground and scooped her up into his arms. His eyes looked over her, narrowing as he observed the damage that had been afflicted on his beloved daughter. Her ankles were still scarred from the acidic poison, but they were already healing, so they were the least of his worries. He was more concerned with her midriff where she had been crushed. Her stomach was still bleeding and the skin surrounding the cut was black from the lack of oxygen; he was amazed that she was even capable of standing much less fighting, given the condition she was in, but she was just as stubborn and resilient as Sesshomaru was himself. Kagome, like her father, did not give in to the pain inflicted in battle; instead, she chose to press on and fight for both her and her cousin's lives.

Inuyasha had rushed over and picked up his daughter as well; she was clinging to his neck now as he embraced her. After a while he cut into the silence, "Well, now that that's over…let's go home. They need to be treated. Kagome and Lady Kaede should be able to help." Inuyasha turned to look at his brother, holding Momoko close against his chest and noticed that Kagome had passed out in his brother's arms. "Is she going to be okay?" He asked, concerned.

Sesshomaru nodded, though his expression was grave. "She will live, but we have to hurry. The sooner they are treated the better. How is Momoko?" He returned the concern, genuinely caring for his niece's well-being.

The pair started walking as Momoko reached out and pokes her favorite uncle's arm, which resulted in him glancing at her with amusement at the gesture, "I'm ok; just a few scratches is all." She smiled sleepily, seeing him nod in response then wrapped her arm back around her father. "Is it ok if I sleep, Papa?"

Inuyasha chuckled, "What about dinner, little pup? You must be hungry after that big fight." Momoko shook her head and yawned, "Not hungry…just tired. Wanna…sleep" she murmured, the last words were slurred as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Inuyasha chuckled again, "Wow. Ok, that's another first. First, she fights her first large scale demon and kills one that we didn't see. Then they discover their demonic powers. Then your daughter…" he paused and glanced at Sesshomaru with a cautious expression. "And now for the first time, Momoko isn't hungry."

Sesshomaru let a slight chuckle escape, "Yes, tonight has been quite eventful. As for my daughter, I know as well as you do that there was nothing we could have done at that moment. I just hoped she would've been older when she transformed for the first time. It would've been better. But…" he paused and glanced at his half-brother with a newfound respect, "Answer me this, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's ears perk up with curiosity, his brother usually had an answer for everything and not many questions, "What is it?"

Sesshomaru looked ahead, "Does it hurt?" The hanyou looked perplexed and was about to ask what he meant but he didn't need to, "Transforming. Does it hurt?"

Inuyasha's eyebrows flicked up, taken aback by the question. He'd never really thought about it nor had he been asked; he thought about it then looked kind of conflicted, "It doesn't necessarily hurt. But it doesn't feel good either. It's a strange, overwhelming feeling… like you're being suffocated and something else is trying to force its way out of you. We tend to try to force it back, but the demonic blood is a lot more powerful once it's triggered. I guess you could kind of compare it to it being like a human being possessed by a demon; but instead it's another aspect of ourselves…a scarier part of ourselves coming out and taking control of us. We don't feel pain or fear, we only know bloodlust and vicious cruelty. The scent of blood excites us." He pats his Tetsaiga, "Myoga and Totosai both said that our father knew about this, and that's ultimately why he left Tetsaiga to me. To prevent these transformations from happening." He looked up at his older brother, "Maybe you could ask Totosai to forge a sword from one of your fangs to protect Kagome." They passed through the forest they came from and were nearing the exit to the village.

Sesshomaru listened carefully and quietly to the hanyou's explanation; he was relieved that she was at least in no pain. He was mildly impressed by Inuyasha's theory about using one of his fangs for his daughter's protection. "That seems to be sound logic to me. I will have to have a talk with the old swordsmith soon." As they came out from the woods, Sesshomaru thought back to the battle, recalling how his niece ran in to protect his daughter and he remembered about Momoko's startlingly similar powers. "Speaking of their newfound powers Inuyasha, did you by chance notice something about Momoko's abilities?"

Inuyasha looked confused, tilting his head and twitching his ears as he thought back to her using them, "She seems to be able to release some sort of light energy – blast and manipulate it. I've never seen anything like-" he cut off as he realized what Sesshomaru meant and groaned expressively, "Noooo! No way, her light whip… it's very similar if not exactly like yours… oh come on!" He whined as Sesshomaru withheld a chuckle, "How does that even happen? She's _my_ daughter; I could understand the light daggers but the whip? She got that from you!"

"Don't be so dramatic, she did not get her powers from me. _I_ am not her father. The most plausible reason for it is that she has seen me use my whip, so she copied me." The demon lord cut off his brother mid-complaint, trying to suppress a smug smile; he would never admit that he was thrilled by her imitation.

By now, they had made it down to the edge of the village to see that a large group of villagers, including Kagome, Rin, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and the rest were carrying torches and making their way up the hill. They had grown worried about what had happened to the girls and the two brothers. Rin and Kagome were the first to see them emerge from the forest and shouted, "THEY'RE BACK!" The two mothers charged forward towards their husbands and children, Rin ignoring every complaint her body gave her. The two women instantly began asking questions about their men's whereabouts and what had happened. The two brothers took turns explaining the turn of events that had taken place, trying to reassure the frantic women that the girls were going to be all right. That worked about as well as convincing Naraku to be nice; Rin, panicking at the sight of the damage inflicted on Kagome, called for Lady Kaede to get her daughter immediately treated. As Rin and Sesshomaru made their way to the medical hut with their daughter, Inuyasha was focused on calming Kagome down enough to explain that Momoko wasn't harmed too much, just showing her the burns on the little girl's ankle and arms – as well as the fact that they were already healing.

Kagome calmed finally and scooped her daughter out her mate's arms, cradling Momoko's head against her shoulder, "Let's go home. I'll treat her there" Kagome said softly, so as not to wake the sleeping child. They went to their hut and gave Momoko the treatment she needed, and went straight to bed. The rest of the small mob separated, heading back towards their homes.

The next few days were dedicated to the girl's recovery, Kagome had woken up but was restricted to bedrest until she fully recovered…much to her protest. Momoko stayed with her cousin everyday to keep her amused. She had even brought Kagome a new kimono that she had picked out with her uncle's help.

Their parents watched the two, delighted by how well they were getting along. "Hey, they've accomplished in a few months something that took us centuries to do."  
Inuyasha teased his brother by elbowing his side, which resulted in a glare from Sesshomaru but was quickly replaced by a smirk, "Let's hope it lasts. And pray that the family trait of being stubborn morons isn't hereditary."

Rin and Kagome burst out laughing, doubling over at two, "Well, finally!" Kagome cackled, "It took you two long enough to get along! It was tiring watching you guys fight all the time."

Rin was holding her stomach from laughing so hard, "Even as a child I wished you two would just stop fighting. It took us getting pregnant and having children and both me and Kagome nearly dying for this to happen. If we had known we would done this years ago!"

The brothers both looked down flustered and if they could, they would have tucked their tails between their legs. "Shut it, you two," they said in unison and everyone laughed. Their lives finally seemed to be making a turn for the better and long one at that.

The End.

***Author's Note***

Well, that's that. I hope you truly enjoyed it. Pleae continue to give Rin Taiso your wonderful support and loving comments in her future as a Fanfictin author. Thank you, my dear friend for your beautiful addition to my little story, and thank you my dear readers for your support of my dearest friend.

\- Lots of Love,

Lady Darkwind

***End Note***


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